Holy Crap
by Staz
Summary: Harm and Mac attend a conference in Israel.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with JAG, or the state of Israel...

A/N: This story touches a sensitive spot and I want to stress – I'm not taking any sides. We all know terrorism is bad (I'm hoping) and that's all I'm saying. I'm just describing what I imagine goes on and what I saw on the news as I'm sure many of you have. So take this story from that perspective. The story is set in season 10.

------

"Remind me why we're doing this again?" She asked for the third time.

Harm gave her an exasperated look reserved normally for four year olds. "Mac..."

He heard Mac breathe "Right..." as she stared past him out the window of the commercial plane they were taking back from their stop in Jordan.

Getting back from an investigation in Iraq, Cmdr. Rabb and Lt. Colonel MacKenzie were to attend a week long conference with their Israeli counterparts and various prominent figures in the IDF (Israeli Defense Force) concerning a country's way of coping with ongoing day-to-day terrorism. The Secnav was supposed to attend but had been unable to make it at the last minute, so they were being sent in his place. For its small size the country that's been in a state of high alertness since it's declaration of independence fifty some years ago had a lot of experience in dealing with the strain of constant terrorism.

"The General thought we could use some R&R in the Holy Land."

Her eyes focused back on the trademark grin as she shook her head and turned to look the other way.

Across the aisle from them sat a family of three – mother, father and a small boy who couldn't be over five years of age. The child was sitting with his head on his mother's lap, squirming in the uncomfortable seat. The sight caused Mac to smile each time she looked over. The mother was rubbing his back in circles, trying to calm him. It was a short, less than an hour long flight, but for a child it was an eternity of uncomfortable sitting, all the more so with the seatbelt.

How she wished she could be in the mother's place. The want filled her so much that she needed to remind herself to breathe. But it was not to be. She would never be a mother, not in the way that counted. Not with the one that counted.

So caught up in her world of thoughts, she was a bit startled when she felt a warm hand slip into hers and lace through her fingers. Mac looked up to find Harm giving her that look again, the one from the Admiral's retirement party, the one he seemed to be giving her a lot lately. A look full of tenderness and patience and compassion. He squeezed her hand and smiled and for once she just felt comforted, not pressured. She didn't need his words. She brought their linked hands to her lap and rested her head on his shoulder. They would be landing soon.

-----

Ugh. Every inch the Marine, Lt. Colonel Sarah MacKenzie on the outside, Mac felt awed that she could sum all her thoughts and feelings with 3 simple letters arranged in one word.

It had been a long week. While the conference was very interesting and brought up some valuable pointers to bring home, and most of the time the parties involved were professional and to the point, there were times Mac had to fight the urge to find a gavel and bring some order to the conference room.

Now, standing outside waiting for their ride back to the hotel, she wanted nothing more than to get to her room, pack up and head to the airport and back home. Sadly, their flight was a day away.

Looking over at Harm, she was slightly annoyed to find him looking very cheerful, not at all bothered by the heat and humidity. She could deal with a desert but now she felt like she was breathing soup while walking through a bubbling swamp.

"Ugh." She decided to voice her thoughts.

"Two minutes out of the A/C too much for you, Marine?"

Not even bothering to retort, Mac squared her shoulders and spent the next 3 minutes focusing her gaze on the soldiers at the base's gate.

"So, what are you planning for your last day in Israel? Hitting the beach?"

Gil, their driver, was surprisingly sensible for his 18 years. He had managed to entertain the two throughout the week's evenings. He showed them around Tel Aviv and the area, gave them a list of good restaurants and places to go and went on and on about his country's history whenever there was a dull moment.

"What do you say, Mac? It's only 10 we've got a whole day ahead of us."

"I don't care what we do as long as we get rid of the humidity factor."

"You know what you should do. You should go to Jerusalem, yeah, the Holy City. You haven't visited Israel till you've been to Jerusalem. It's the city of David, of the first and second Temple, the city of 4 religions, the-"

"Gil." Harm and Mac were used to having to cut the eager young man in the middle of his lectures, or they wouldn't end.

"Sorry. What do you say? You could get a rental car and drive up there. Once you leave the coastal plane it's far drier."

"I'm in." Mac smiled at the prospect of breathing air again and at Harm's laughter.

"Jerusalem it is. Let's just get out of these uniforms."

------

The drive to the Holy City was blissfully short. Spending the 45 minutes staring out the window, it seemed to Mac that this one country tried to have it all in very little space. They had a desert, green mountains, one snow covered cap, a lake, a long shoreline and plains in between.

Stepping out of the car in Jerusalem was stepping into paradise. After having endured a week in the suffocating humidity of Tel Aviv, the cool breeze hitting her face was more than welcomed.

They'd driven straight to Mount Scopus, as Gil suggested. It was a clear day and the view was breathtaking. They could see the northern edge of the Dead Sea and the mountains of Jordan beyond it.

Throwing a glance in Mac's direction, Harm was awed by a completely different sight. It was times like these he wished she wasn't a Marine, if only because she wouldn't have to wear her uniform, he liked her sunny dresses much, much more.

Feeling his eyes on her, Mac turned around and grabbed his arm, pulling him to stand beside her.

"Look at the view, Harm." Her eyes were wide and receptive at the sights before her.

"I was." He didn't dare look at her as he said it.

On the outside, Mac chose to ignore what he obviously meant. Inside her heart beat just a little faster, the backdrop of her conscious mind brightened a bit.

A few minutes later, having memorized the moment, she turned back to their car and got the various tourist information pages and a map of the city.

"How do you want to go about this day?"

Joining her, Harm spread the map on the hood and took out the "attraction" list Gil gave him.

"Well the obvious must sees are the Western Wall and the old city, the market place should be a sight and this Holy Land exhibit seems interesting, what do you say?"

Mac had been nodding her head while looking at the city map.

"We're at the northern part of the city, we have an easy route to the old city... I say we go there first, then head over to the market place, drive over to Holy Land... that's close to the Biblical Zoo so that's another option. We'll just see how the day unfolds, okay?"

"Sounds like a plan, jarhead." Harm proceeded to gather all that they've spread out while Mac took another cleansing breath of clear fresh air, expanding her lungs and shaking any and all thoughts from her mind. This would be a wonderful day off. No worries, no brooding, no impending clouds. It was just Harm, her, the clear blue skies above and a new city to explore. It'd be a day to remember.

-----

The old city was enchanting. They walked the narrow streets and into quaint little shops and bazaars, chatting amicably about small things from the stones used to build the city to what history they knew about the Holy City to the people around them. As a couple they were hard not to notice, Harm with his height and build and Mac with her beauty. Harm was immediately labeled as a tourist and addressed as such automatically in English. Mac on the other hand had been spoken to in Hebrew a few times. The high point was when at one shop the keeper kept trying to sell Harm some ancient looking knife, while betting with his friend in Farsi that he could take double the price from the unsuspecting tourist. Mac made a show of appreciating the knife while talking to Harm, who picked up on her body language and played along. The owner almost choked on his cigarette when she addressed him in his own language to ask about the history of the expensive piece.

Making a joke of it all, Mac managed to keep everyone comfortable in the small space that became a tad confined after her first sentence in the foreign tongue. Inviting them both to the adjoining coffee house which he too owned, Simon introduced himself and offered them to have lunch with him. Graciously they accepted and sat to enjoy a wonderful meal and great company.

"So tell me, Sarah, where are you from in Iran?" For Harm's sake the conversation was being held in English.

"Oh, actually, I know Farsi from my grandmother. She lived in Tehran. Where did you say you were from?"

Simon looked behind his shoulder at his wife manning the small kitchen. "Ester and I are from a small village called Yaz. We were married at a very young age, but you see us now, 60 years, 6 kids and 24 or 25 grandkids later, I always forget one, and we're still together."

"When did you come to Israel, then?" Harm joined in the conversation.

"Oh, when we were quite old. We always knew about Israel but we were comfortable where we were. We lived among our neighbors in peace. Only when two of our sons came here and Ester couldn't bear being away from them, did we take our kids and come here to Jerusalem."

Ester was a small plump woman with her heart on her sleeve. Even before they'd managed to sit down she had places three cups of steaming home-made tea before them, along with her special sugar cubes. Now she approached them with a wide smile on her face and two plates in hand. Since she didn't speak any English she turned to Mac and spoke in Farsi. Mac's face lightened up at her words and she talked with the woman animatedly. Simon simultaneously translated the gist of things.

"Ester made you Khoresht Aloo. It's a Persian dish. Sarah remembers it from her grandmother and is now getting the recipe."

Harm smiled warmly at the woman, he knew how close Mac was to her grandmother and how she wished she had more memories to hold on to.

"Is there much difference between Jewish and non-Jewish Persians?"

"That's a big question. There are differences, from the religion to the food. But, you know, if you took me and my neighbor, there's more in common than there is different."

"Well, I wish more people saw it like you, achieving peace would be easier."

"You'd be surprised how many people see it like we do."

"Your food is getting cold, men!" Mac, halfway through her own serving, shot both men an incredulous look, backing up Ester's expectant gaze.

-----

After the meal Harm and Mac parted from the old couple, not before buying the knife as a souvenir and continued their journey through the old roads, soon reaching the Western Wall. They took long minutes to absorb the scene of so many people praying next to a huge wall built of enormous stones.

"Can you even imagine what it took to build this thing?" Harm was in awe.

They moved towards the structure, but soon discovered there was a separation between men and women going down to the wall. The large crowd and the idea of separation in it contributed to their decision to move on to their next stop.

-----

"We've been here before." Mac almost threw the map out the window.

"No kidding."

"Simon and that guy we stopped a while back said we need to go straight and that's what we did."

"Still we managed to go in circles. Straight must have a different meaning in this city."

"Here! Harm, take a right!"

"Yup, that was definitely straight. Remind me never to ask for directions in this city."

-----

"Mac, you have to see this. Look at these cucumbers! And those peppers! Now I get how they made those amazing salads in Tel Aviv, just look at their vegetables!"

"Only you would get a kick out of foreign vegetables, Harm..." Taking his hand in hers she pulled him out of the small place and into the market's passageway. Her hold on him was released moments later when she found a little bakery tucked in a corner, she decided to explore. Harm looked around, hands in his pocket as people walked around him like a stream curving the sides of a rock in its path.

A colorful display of flowers caught his eye and he moved closer, keeping an eye out for his companion. They were all quite beautiful, looking as fresh as the vegetables he'd admired earlier, but he knew what he was going to buy even before he examined them more closely. Ridding himself of some of his Israeli currency, he bought one long stemmed rose and walked away contentedly. He found Mac paying for some assortment of cookies and chose to stand two steps behind her, quietly waiting for her to turn around.

Thanking the kind baker again, Mac turned to find a rose held precisely in front of her face. Slightly startled, a gasp escaped her lips, which was immediately followed by a very wide smile as she accepted the gift.

"Thank you. To what do I owe this pleasure."

Harm only shrugged his shoulders. When he saw her lift the rose to her nose, he decided to take one step closer to the edge. "To your beauty."

Mac raised a brow and gave an amused smile, but he could see the blush creeping into her cheeks and he knew he'd gotten to her. She accepted the hand he discreetly held out and they started strolling once again.

He would forever remember suddenly turning to watch her profile. It only took a second before she turned her face to him and smiled. Her eyes questioned his attention not without a twinkle to match the message in her smile.

Suddenly life started coming in flashes. First came a flash of light. Everything in sight was replaced by blinding whiteness. The next flash was a rush of wind that literally lifted him off the ground and threw him backwards. Then came the pain which seemed to scream from every single nerve ending in his body and flood his system with information that was immediately lost in the chaos.

Sound, having been left out of the previous flashes, came back with a vengeance – screams of every tone, pitch and gender attacked his eardrums, some of which didn't even sound human. His brain sent a command for him to add to the noise and scream her name. Whether his lips complied or not, he would never know.

All of a sudden he could smell and see. His nostrils flared at the smell of smoke, burnt fabric and skin. His eyes widened at total destruction, thousands of pieces of glass, merchandise and people strewn all over. Already flooded from all the sense induced information, his brain couldn't help him solve the puzzle, there was just too much. It was overwhelming.

And then there was darkness

-----

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: see first part.

A/N: Sorry to leave you hanging for so long! Life has its way of demanding attention... Wow, you guys really blew me away with the reviews! And to think I was hesitant about posting this story... Thanks so much!

Thanks especially to Ultracape, who pointed out a detail I overlooked – these days getting into the Western Wall means going through security – metal detectors and such. Harm wouldn't have been allowed in with his recently acquired knife and Mac would've been asked to take some sort of cover had she wanted to go near the Wall for religious reasons.

Here we go... a little patience will be required, but it will be worth it.

-----

Harm felt his eyes open of their own accord.

There was a lot of light. Gradually his irises shrunk and the light became bearable. Everything was fuzzy. He felt nothing other than a distant pain in his chest. There was cotton between his brain cells. Strays of thoughts floated, never coming together, in and out of his mind. Then he could make out a figure, dark in the surrounding light. The word 'Mac' floated in from one side, from the other came the desire to reach out. He couldn't move any muscle, including his facial ones. The desire became more incessant but there was nothing he could do. The figure stayed distant and he relented.

His eyes closed, again through no conscious though of his. He drifted off, safe with the feeling he was being cared for.

-----

Constant beeping woke him up. Harm remembered vaguely waking up a few times before but now everything was much clearer. The beeping was coming from a machine above his head, and upon further investigation, also from above the man in the bed by the window. There was an IV drip connected to his arm and three different bags of fluids hanging from a pole to his left.

His befuddled mind started connecting the somewhat distant dots. He was in a hospital. They were in the marketplace – Mac! Had he been able to move he would've been sitting up ramrod straight in his bed. As it was an unintelligible groan escaped his lips. The following caused a stab of pain in his chest and another involuntary lesser groan.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement and then there was a woman standing beside him. She definitely wasn't Mac, actually she reminded him a little bit of Mattie – curly hair of almost the same color framing her face and a look of deep concern directed at him.

"Atta besseder?"

Great, the first person who didn't automatically categorize him as a tourist, and it had to come at the worst possible time. He tried again to form a word, the only thing he could think of – her name.

He couldn't get past the first consonant. The young woman said something else. From the tone of her voice and the fact she hurried out of the room he guessed she was getting a nurse or a doctor. His guess was soon verified as she came back a minute later, followed by a nurse.

The nurse walked to his side, all the while talking, assumedly to him, in Hebrew. She had a different accent though. Harm tried to look at her more closely and realized she was an Arab, obviously an Israeli one, but her accent gave her away.

Try as he might he couldn't form words and get them out. He tried to make his confusion show, but wasn't sure if he was succeeding. The nurse was busy checking his IV and the fluids and vitals, when she finally turned to her very quiet patient she realized their communication was very one sided.

A vial of water was brought to his over-dried lips. The relieving fluid trickled down to his throat, strangely reviving. The nurse was still talking, probably explaining things to him, things he wanted to hear and understand. Maybe she was saying where Mac was. That thought got him trying to talk again..

"En... gish..." he managed to croak out. The nurse didn't seem to register what he meant and kept on talking. The efforts to get a word out were taxing enough, his frustration now wasn't helping. His lips were moving rather well, but making sounds was extremely hard and his chest felt as if it was on fire. The nurse apparently wasn't very concerned about his inability to talk and kept trying to calm him down. Then she was backing away, seemingly satisfied with her actions and Harm was starting to panic.

Suddenly the young woman from before was once again in sight and talking to the nurse. He felt like an invalid, trying to understand what was going on around him. Catching a familiar word, he focused on Mattie's look-alike.

"Do you speak English?" she asked him and relief eased some of the pain. He managed to make a sound resembling an affirmative answer, wondering why his response made the woman smile and the nurse frown.

"You are hurt. You need rest. Doctors will come tomorrow morning." Was all the nurse said, albeit with a smile, as she checked his IV once again and left the room.

If only his mind wasn't so slow, if only he could talk normally... he wanted to call after the retreating nurse. He wanted to know what happened. He needed to know where Mac was, how she was doing. He tried his best, but only managed to form an indistinct sound, and to cause himself a lot of pain.

"You were in a terrorist bombing in the market." A voice startled him. "It was a suicide bomber from the Hamas. There were 17 killed, many more injured." Harm's gaze focused once again on the young woman whose name he didn't know. "You were hurt pretty badly, I don't know exactly what and where but the bombing was yesterday and they only moved you here this evening. The doctors will come in the morning on their rounds so you'll get more information."

Sleep was already claiming him again, his few efforts took a lot of energy. Through half closed eyes Harm still tried to convey something, though he wasn't even sure what by now. The pain was receding, but so was he.

The woman realized his state and started turning away. Just before he fell asleep and she walked away he heard her say "By the way, my name is Tal."

-----

His next return to the land of awareness was early in the following morning, judging by the dim light penetrating the room. Again, he remembered waking up through the night, but it was only for brief moments. It took a little less time to achieve complete consciousness than the day before. For a man who's job was to find out facts and information, search for the truth, always active, a Naval Aviator, it was extremely hard for Harm to lie in a bed in some hospital, not knowing exactly what happened to him, what was going on and where Mac was.

Slowly, he took store of his body. He noticed for the first time his bed wasn't completely straight, he was almost sitting up. There was still a pain in his chest, but so long as he didn't take deep breaths it was dim and bearable. He could flex the fingers of both hands and legs. His body was heavy, lifting his IV free arm was hard but possible.

He was so focused on the inner workings of his body he was actually startled by the nurse checking his IV drip again.

Harm studied the woman quietly, working up strength to form a sentence. He waited till she finished putting the empty infusion bag away, replacing it with a full one and then for a second he caught her eyes and launched his plea.

"Please..." his voice was hoarse, the word nothing more than a whisper, but it came easier than he thought.

The nurse smiled kindly at him, bringing water to his lips again. She obviously wasn't very comfortable talking English, she kept her lips closed tightly, but still she smiled slightly and her eyes were warm and kind. Harm tried again.

"Please... need... know..."

A calming hand was placed on his chest. "You need to rest," she said in an accent of clipped vowels and rounded consonants, "The doctors will come soon."

Harm shook his head in an effort to make her understand he couldn't wait any longer. "Please!" It seemed it was all he could say.

The nurse only looked at him with compassion, then her face lit with a thought and she dug into her pockets producing a tiny notebook and a pen. She put the pen in his hand and placed the notebook in his lap. This was the greatest accomplishment so far and he smiled as best as he could in gratitude.

On the blank page Harm wrote his name and rank, below that Mac's. He fingered the words in the first row, showing the nurse they described him and waiting to see she understood. She was quick to catch on and asked him silently about the second row. He drew a question mark and saw the nurse's countenance darken almost immediately. Nodding slightly she took the pen and notebook from him and hurried out.

Careful not to do it too fast, Harm let out a sigh of relief. He was one step closer to finding Mac.

-----

The nurse didn't come back for a while. Even before the doctors made rounds, he was visited by the physician in charge. The older man explained to him in flawless English that he'd suffered many wounds due to the nails and small metal balls that were embedded in the bomb. Most of them caused little damage, but one of the larger ones managed to hit him in the chest and cause pneumothorax, the cause of his chest pains. He'd been told his was a mild case of air penetrating the space around the lungs causing a collapsed lung which was treated and now functioning. It would take time to heal and for the pain to go away, but all in all he was extremely lucky.

Further more, the doctor told him his name was on the list of the hospitalized, so the consulate would soon find out he was alive and well.

Finally having some information did a lot to calm his nerves, but one big piece was missing from the puzzle. He tried asking the doctor about Mac but was told there was still chaos in the records and that he knew the chief nurse was doing her best to find out.

-----

His nurse returned a while later with another nurse in tow, going bed by bed, obviously changing shifts. When they finally reached him he tried to ask her. Before he could get the words out the nurse shook her head sadly and his insides tightened painfully. He just stared at her when he registered another voice. The second nurse was talking.

"We're still looking for your friend, don't worry." The ability to breath returned. What could possibly make it so hard to find her? Surely she was somewhere in this hospital, didn't these people keep records! Of course records tend to be a bit loose in an emergency.

Lost in his own thoughts yet again he failed to notice the nurses leaving and another figure come to stand beside him.

"You're looking much better this morning!" Tal smiled widely at him. "My cousin over there is also getting stronger by the second, must've been a good night."

The edges of his mouth rose out of politeness more than anything else.

"I overheard the nurses, I understand there was a woman with you when the bomb went off?" Harm nodded slightly, not really wanting to talk about it, but at the same time he didn't want to be rude to her. "Do you want me to try and look for her too? I mean the nurses have their hands full with work here, they don't have much time to start calling other hospitals."

His mouth formed the word 'others', his puzzlement showed. Tal launched into more explaining. "There are three major hospitals in the city. We're at Hadassah at Mt. Scopus. There's also Hadassah Ein Kerem and Shaare Zedek. Your friend could be in one of them. Maybe she isn't conscious yet and they don't know her name, I mean, they didn't know yours until you woke up."

A ray of hope warmed him, Tal was right and she was willing to help him. His smile widened. "Thank you."

Tal smiled back. "You want to give me her name?"

"Sarah MacKenzie."

Tal repeated the name and Harm nodded, confirming she got it right.

"And yours would be..?"

Oh boy, if his week in Tel Aviv was anything to go by, he had a hard time getting people to understand his name, Mac, on the other hand, had no problem with her biblical name.

"Rabb." He settled for his last name.

"Nice to meet you... despite the circumstances."

With a parting smile she walked out of the room, cell phone in hand, already keying in a number. Harm glanced over at the man he now knew was Tal's cousin sleeping in the other bed and wished him a quick recovery for his cousin's sake.

-----

Half an hour later, annoying thoughts started plaguing him. First the nurse, now Tal... did they know something they didn't want to tell him? He had to know already! And where were the people from the consulate? What about their contacts at IDF? Didn't anybody care!

Just as he was about to press the button summoning the nurse to investigate, Tal walked into the room. Her stride and the look on her face weren't encouraging. The vise on his insides tightened yet again.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't find her in the lists." In reality Tal wasn't even breathing between words, but to Harm everything seemed to move in slow motion. The words washed over him as he repeated to himself 'She's not dead. She can't be dead. She's not dead. Shesnotdeadshesnotdeadshesnotdeadshesnotdead!' "You were the last unidentified person in this hospital. The other hospitals don't have her on the lists... and they don't have any unidentified people either... but there could be a mess in the papers, you know how papers can be!"

No, no, no, no, no way she's dead. Shesnotdeadshesnotdeadshesnotdeadshesnotdead. "She's not dead." He stated in a calm voice and ignored the pity he saw reflected at him.

"I'll try and call to check again later, okay?" Harm nodded and Tal walked away.

She simply can not be dead. He refused to believe it. Mac was too stubborn, too dedicated, too beautiful... too alive... to be dead.

-----

The hours passed by unnoticed by Harm. The doctors made their rounds, he was served breakfast and then someone from the consulate showed up. Though it was the middle of the night in Washington he was handed a cellular phone and a number to call the General.

Talking still wasn't easy but the effort was made gladly.

"Cresswell."

"Sir."

"Rabb! Good to hear your voice, Commander! You all right?"

"I'll be fine, sir. They can't find Mac."

"I know, up until a few hours ago we couldn't find you either. I'm at the consul's throat to find her, don't worry. We'll find her, Rabb."

"Yes, sir." Harm kept his answers short, conserving his strength.

"I asked for them to give you this phone so you could be in touch. The consulate will take care of all the paperwork and bureaucracy, you just get better. I've called your mother already, so you don't have to worry about that either."

"Thank you, sir."

"Okay, Rabb, Get some rest, you sound like shit. Call me at this number whenever you need."

The call ended on that note and after receiving the phone's charger and a bag with personal affects like towels and toiletries and some money, Harm quickly got the guy to leave him, all but ordering him to go find Mac. He had to get out of this bed and out of this hospital. Despite the slightly calming affect the talk with the General had, Harm wasn't at ease. He knew he wouldn't be until he found her. Mac was out there somewhere and he needed to find her. He needed to see her. He needed her.

-----

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: see first part.

A/N: I meant to post this chapter three days ago, sorry for the delay. Did I mention already how great you reviewers are? Because you really really are ;-) Here ya go, enjoy!

Quotes in between brackets are in Hebrew.

-----

When the morning progressed into its 'normal human being' hours, Harm found himself bombarded by phone calls and visitors. A little while after he hung up on the General, his mother called and he'd passed a good hour trying to calm her down and keep her from taking the first flight headed to the Middle East. In the end he'd managed to convince both her and Frank that by the time they'd get there he would be on his way out of the hospital and back home.

A tentative settlement was made – Trish and Frank will come to DC to see him and stay with him when he got back. Until that time he would do his best to stay in touch and keep them updated on his situation as well as Mac's, since Trish was extremely worried about her as well.

He hadn't fully been able to catch his aching breath when he received his first visitors for the day. As if his musings reached attentive ears, an IDF representative, the Captain who was in charge of running the conference, came by to check on him. He was accompanied by a very distraught Gil. The young man was letting guilt eat him alive for telling Harm and Mac to go to Jerusalem.

"Really, sir, I'm so sorry! I should've thought of the security risk. I should've told you to be more careful, I mean, the marketplace isn't known for its security." The Captain had stepped out to take a phone call and Gil launched into an unstoppable verbal guilt trip.

"Gil." Harm's inability to speak loud and clear had a costing affect on his ears.

"...suggested you go up north to see the sights, the Sea of Galilee, maybe take a plane over the country. You're a pilot, you could-"

"Gil!" The harsh whisper finally got the kid's attention and Harm took the minute of silence to manage the pain and find more power to speak. "It isn't your fault. You couldn't know and going to Jerusalem was a great idea, we were having a great time... besides, I'll be fine and-"

"But Colonel MacKenzie..." Gil cut him off. Harm put on his most reassuring smile and tried to convince not only the slumped form of the young man next to him, but also, and more importantly, himself.

"We'll find her soon and she'll be fine too."

If he disagreed, Gil wisely didn't show it and for once only nodded his head in acknowledgment of the words.

The Captain reentered the room a short while later and soon thereafter wished Harm a fast and complete recovery, made sure Harm had everything he needed and left. Gil stayed a minute behind, squeezing in a few more apologies and promising to come visit Harm again when he could.

The day went on somewhat unnoticed by Harm. The morning had worn him out and he slept well into the afternoon with the exception of waking to a phone call from Harriet and Bud. Calming Harriet was almost as hard as calming his mother, with the exception that he knew Harriet could not threat with catching the next plane.

Throughout the afternoon his thoughts were fully occupied with the need to get out of the hospital bed and find Mac. Whenever a doctor or a nurse entered the room he'd ask again and then again when the answers didn't satisfy him.

"Hi Rabb!" Harm was startled by Tal's voice.

"Hey, it's been quiet here without you." Talking came easier with every hour, especially hours of rest.

Tal chuckled and shook her head in amusement, causing curls to bounce jovially. "It's been really loud actually. My entire family was here until not long ago and they made enough noise to shake the floor. You were completely out!"

"I guess... how's that cousin of yours?"

"Oh, he's much better, with any luck he'll be out of here tomorrow." She got serious all of a sudden. "Any word?" She didn't need to elaborate, and Harm could do nothing more than shake his head in the negative.

Tal found nothing to say. She couldn't find it in her heart to lie and keep his hopes up with trite words. She knew from the hourly news reports that there was still one unidentified body at the Abu-Khabir morgue. Tal opted to convey her sympathy by holding Harm's gaze a while longer, then she got her cell phone, setting out to fulfill her earlier promise of calling the other hospitals again.

Harm slowly let out a sigh and refocused on his earlier trail of thought. His visitors that evening came as a complete surprise.

"Simon?"

"Good evening, Harm, it's good to see you. How are you feeling?" Harm's eyes were still very wide. It took him a while to get over the feelings brought up by the old couple's entrance. Ester stayed silent and only laid a hand on his IV-free arm in a comforting touch.

"I'll be fine." Harm finally managed to answer.

"We were very worried when we heard about the suicide bombing; we knew you and Sarah planned to go to the marketplace. We called the consulate repeatedly and looked for your names on the hospital lists. The people at the consulate weren't very helpful and until this morning you weren't on the list..."

"I woke up last night." Harm was touched by the concern shown by practical strangers.

"Sarah?" Ester spoke up for the first time. The name sounded different on her lips, foreign somehow, but didn't fail to stir the same feelings in his gut. He had to get out of there.

"We can't find her yet. I just... I need to get out of here and I'll find her." Ester's hold on his arm tightened slightly while Simon voiced her thoughts.

"You need to get better first, Harm. You're of no use to Sarah if you kill yourself. You know she will scold you for it."

A sad smile tugged Harm's lips but the need to throw back the covers and march out of the room stayed constant. It was the same feeling that made him throw everything and follow her trail to Paraguay. She was out there, she was alive, and he'd be damned if he didn't have her back and get her out of whatever mess she'd been thrown into. She wouldn't have done any less for him.

Simon and Ester stayed a while longer, though Harm wasn't very pleasant company. They left him when his eyes started drooping, promising to keep looking for Sarah as well, taking his new cell-phone number to keep in touch.

His mind set on getting better as soon as possible, Harm fell into a deep sleep.

-----

Ester volunteered three times a week at the Shaare Zedek hospital. One of her daughters-in-law who worked there mentioned it once years ago and got Ester's mind wondering. It had been a little hard at first – the hospital was two buses away from her home and her Hebrew wasn't very good, but she soon found out that when it comes to sick people, the language barrier was very thin. She learned Hebrew much faster with the help of the nurses and even some of the patients. Her work consisted mainly of helping the nurses change sheets and helping the patients and their families with everything from physical to moral support.

In her years in the hospital Ester learned to dread the days and weeks after a suicide bombing. Having a sick loved one was one thing, having them hurt unexpectedly was a whole other deal. It was evident in car-crash injuries, but was more painfully so after such attacks.

This morning was a little different. Ester found herself looking at the patients with a searching eye. While it was true that there were no unidentified patients in the hospital, she, like Harm, did not believe Sarah was dead. She had a deep feeling that Sarah was alive and waiting to be found, and Ester trusted her gut feelings implicitly. She'd been around the hospital enough to see a couple of cases of mistaken identity, so she stayed in each room a few minutes longer in order to scan the patients more thoroughly.

It was almost the end of her day when she entered room 319 and her heart rate went up. The far bed in the room was occupied by an unconscious female that could easily be Sarah. Ester approached the bed cautiously. She didn't want to startle the obviously exhausted man sitting next to it.

The female's head was bandaged, her face battered and bruised, but Ester knew she would swear on a Bible that the woman between the hospital sheets was Sarah MacKenzie.

When Ester moved closely, she accidentally touched the bed and the man's eyes snapped open. Ester gave him a warm smile and asked quietly ("Your wife?")

The man shook his head no. ("Girlfriend.")

("What's her name?")

("Na'ama")

("Her family...?")

Again the man's head turned sadly from side to side. ("She only has a young brother, but he's on a trekking trip in New Zealand and I can't reach him. I've only known her for a couple of months too...")

Ester nodded and smiled slightly, trying to put the guy at ease, while the wheels in her head were churning explanations and possibilities. She couldn't possibly tell this man of her suspicions before she had better proof. She needed to call Simon and have him ask Harm for some details.

-----

Harm woke up to a new day with no less resolve and a lot less patience. It came to the point that Tal told him she'd heard the nurses complaining about him so would he please give them a break.

To Harm's extreme delight, when his doctor came to see him that morning he was allowed to try and get out of bed and sit on the nearby chair.

Around 1500 he was expecting his mother to call. She told him the previous day that she was starting her day at 500 that day anyways, so he wasn't surprised by the phone's ringing.

"Good morning!" Harm tried to sound good for his mother's sake.

"Harm?" it took him a second to place the voice. "Simon?"

"Yes, I hope I didn't wake you..."

"Oh, no, no, I was expecting a call from my mother."

"Oh. Listen, Harm, I need you to stay calm, alright?" Harm felt his chest tighten and his breath catch and wondered why whenever people asked him to remain calm it only served to make him even more nervous. Simon took his silence as a positive answer and went on. "Ester volunteers at the Shaare Zedek hospital... she just called and asked me to call you..." Harm stayed perfectly still and silent, willing his mind to stay bland and conclusion free. "I'm just going to say it. There's a woman there that looks like Mac."

All the air rushed out of Harm's lungs, but he didn't even register the accompanying pain. "Now, before you jump to conclusions, I have to tell you that she's been identified as someone else. Her face is badly bruised and her head is bandaged and neither Ester not I can or will say such hurtful things to that woman's boyfriend, who's sitting with her."

"I have to see her." Harm's tone of voice made Simon wish he'd gone to tell him personally so he could hold the man down.

"You know you can't do that. Right now the best thing you can do for her is to let yourself heal so you can take care of her later. She's in a coma right now; she's lost a lot of blood and almost reached the point of no return. Now you can help while staying put."

"How?" So many thoughts were running through his mind, demanding attention, it was a wonder he could speak at all.

"Does Sarah have any physical identifying marks that would prove she's her?"

Mac's figure appeared in his mind's eye as Harm tried to think of something uniquely Mac. Only one thing came to mind and he knew how it would sound. "Uh... she has a tattoo."

"Okay, that's perfect, where?"

And there it was. "I... uh, I don't know where it is."

"Oh." Was all Simon said and the line stayed quiet for a while. "Okay, I'll call and tell Ester and I'll be in touch."

"Alright... Simon. Thank you. Thank Ester for me."

"No problem, Harm, I'll call you later."

A slow smile spread on Harm's lips and he hung up the phone. It was her. He didn't need any proof. Easing back into the bed, all his muscles relaxed as if they'd been clenched since he first woke up in the hospital

There was still the need to see her and make sure she was okay but he knew Ester would look out for Mac as if she was her own daughter and he wanted to at least look healthy when she woke up so she wouldn't have anything to say.

When his mother called ten minutes later she was very happy to hear his tone of voice, he didn't even have to tell her about the call from Simon, for she knew exactly what made her son sound like that.

-----

Ester had shared her suspicions with the nurses in the internal medicine ward and easily got their support when she pointed out the medical mistakes that could be made because of the mistaken identity.

They'd agreed to change her sheets and pajamas at that time though it wasn't needed, only to make sure the woman in room 319 was indeed Na'ama Ben-Hillel as the chart at the foot of the bed stated clearly.

Na'ama's boyfriend, Yoav, requested to stay in the room when Ester and a nurse entered and drew the curtain around the bed. The nurse started to object but Ester silenced her. True, it wasn't customary but she needed to see the man's reaction when they found the tattoo. It was a viable option that the woman called Na'ama also had a tattoo and since she had no information on the location or nature of Sarah's tattoo she had to make sure.

Carefully the nurse and Ester proceeded to change first the sheets and then the female's pajamas. Yoav watched silently and unobtrusively at first, but then Ester heard him gasp and start breathing faster. He took a step closer to the bed and stuttered a bit in shock. Ester saw the source of his distress and quickly finished changing Sarah's pajamas. Mixed feelings clashed inside of her and tears of joy and sadness stung her eyes. One woman died and another was found in the space of one moment. She felt like a murderer when she saw the tear streaks upon Yoav's face, while another part of her was rejoicing for Harm.

Not even one word came out of Yoav's mouth from the moment the truth hit him in the face. His mind had yet to process what he'd seen, but deep down the meaning already sunk in, bitter and heavy. He stared ahead, unseeing.

Quietly, Ester walked over to Yoav and coaxed him to sit down. Sending the nurse out, she brought another chair and sat down next to the shadow of a man. She knew there was nothing to say, so she simply sat with him, her hand on his to make him understand he was not alone.

Harm would have to wait for the good news a little while longer.

-----

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: see first chapter.

A/N: Apologies and thanks at the end.

Quotations between brackets are in Hebrew.

-----

The corridors of the hospital were bustling with activity. The smell of medicine was in the air. Nurses, patients and visitors donated their fair share of sound to the medley that was the expected background noise in any place with more than 3 people.

Despite it all, the world seemed eerily silent and slow to Harmon Rabb Jr. when he saw Simon entering his hospital room. In the few seconds it took Simon to get from the doorway to his bedside, Harm's mind went through everything from worst case scenario /I've lost her.../ to the highest peak of happiness /Oh god, she's alright/. He was so preoccupied with shutting down the rollercoaster inside that he completely missed what Simon said.

"What?"

"It's her, it's Sarah."

His earlier confidence that it had to be her notwithstanding, relief that it actually was true washed through him as if his heart hadn't worked until that point and suddenly started pumping fresh oxygenated blood to all his systems. His eyelids covered the unexpectedly watery eyes underneath, and then opened to the sight of Simon's wide and understanding smile.

"How is she?" Harm finally asked. When Simon's expression turned somber he wished he hadn't.

"I told you before, she's been badly hurt. She was trapped under a beam and it took a while to get her out. She lost a massive amount of blood and took some serious hits to her back and head. The doctor said she was very close to the point of no return in severe shock." Taking a deep breath, Simon went on since his partner in the conversation wasn't an active one. "Right now she's stabilized but she went into a coma from the lack of oxygen to her brain and from the bruises to her skull... If-when she wakes up he doesn't know the amount of damage..."

Later, when he thought about it, Harm was grateful the ECG was no longer connected. His heart rate must've been all over the map in those short minutes.

Distantly he hoped Simon wouldn't think him ungrateful as once again the outside world was anything but relevant and his mind was running through options and making calculations.

He wished his mother was there. It wasn't the small child in him seeking his mother's warm hand on his forehead, but rather the need to have someone he trusted implicitly and could rely on without hesitance or guilt. Usually the first person to come to his mind as that someone was Mac, but now he needed that someone **for** Mac.

He was still on the IV drip of antibiotics, though he'd been promised to be taken off it since he could take medicine orally. But even with the hypothetical freedom from those ties it was still pretty hard for him to move around, a fact he would never admit to aloud. He couldn't be at Mac's side and he couldn't very well ask strangers to stay with her day and night because he didn't want her to wake up alone. The only people he trusted enough in the country were Gil, Simon and Ester and maybe Tal, but he couldn't ask that of any of them.

A hand on his shoulder brought him out of his turbulent thoughts. "Harm?"

"Yes, sorry. I was lost in thought again." Half a smile was all he could force to his expression.

"I was saying Ester is taking care of all the paperwork in the hospital, at least the basic ones until you give them more details. She's making sure they treat Sarah well. She'll stay with her until later this evening and come back tomorrow morning."

Harm's surprise showed but Simon only smiled. "You thought we were going to leave her alone now that we found her? We take care of our own, we don't leave them behind."

A smile of gratitude held just a fraction of what filled Harm. Apparently the Marine attitude was also a Persian thing, at least as far as Simon and Ester were concerned.

"I don't know what to say... Thank you doesn't seem enough..."

"It's more than enough, I'm sure you would've done the same or more. I trust you will be alright on your own?"

It was all Harm could do to nod his assent and shake the man's hand as warmly as he could manage. With a parting smile Simon left him to his own devices.

Figuring out the time difference, he called first the General, then his mother and finally Harriet with the good yet guarded news. The General said he'd get someone from the consulate to give the hospital Mac's medical records and check on her every once in a while. Coates informed him that Mattie was in the loop and would call him later on.

His mother once again asked if he was sure he didn't want her to come. This time it was much harder to refuse the offer but he still couldn't ask that of her and Frank. Harriet on her part was more than happy to get him Chloe's number.

-----

The evening progressed and after the physically and mentally taxing talk with Chloe, Harm was truly exhausted and soon fell into a deep sleep. Lost in dreamland he didn't even budge when Gil hesitantly made his way into the room. His hesitation grew when he saw the Commander's form deep in sleep. He stood, fidgeting in the middle of the room and was about to turn back and walk out when a voice startled him.

("You've come to visit Rabb?") Tal had just entered the room and smiled at him brilliantly.

("Uh.. Erm, Yes. I... uh, promised him I'd visit when I could but I was on watch duty this Saturday and I just got off this morning and now I have a few days off an-") Forgetting he was out of uniform and that the woman before him didn't know him, Gil was surprised when she cut him off, even more so when he registered her smile had gotten wider.

("Breathe. It's very important to breathe.") Tal lectured and Gil complied, walking with her obediently to sit down in the room's corner.

("Did you listen to the news lately? They've identified the last body, it wasn't her.") Tal's tone was solemn but there was a hint of excitement in her body language. She was obviously happy for Rabb.

Gil wasn't so subtle in showing his relief. ("So Colonel MacKenzie is okay!")

The kid was a good soul, Tal decided resolutely. ("I don't know if they found her or not, but at least we know she isn't dead. Wait, did you say Colonel?") His use of rank suddenly sank in.

("Yeah, they're both American officers here on a conference. I was their driver the whole week in Tel Aviv and then they had one more day before their flight back, and I told them that they should go to Jerusalem and-")

("What's your name?") Tal realized quickly that getting a word in would only happen by interruptions.

("Gil. And yours?")

("Tal. It's nice to meet you, despite the circumstances. Remember what I told you about breathing?")

Gil nodded his head and in noticeable silence stared at his hands, where they rested in his lap. Tal watched him appraisingly. The kid couldn't be much over the age of 18 and was obviously very affected by the latest act of terror. Not that she wasn't. That kind of news never failed to stop her heart and get her fingers rapidly dialing the numbers of people she knew in the targeted area.

Still, sad as it was, after 2 mandatory years in the IDF and 25 some years of living in a troubled country had a way of making even the most compassionate person just slightly numb. She wasn't by any means apathetic – just shielded enough to keep her sanity and way of life despite the constant beatings on her humanity.

Whenever she paused and questioned whether she should go on with her plans after a terrorist attack or if someplace was safe enough to go to, she forcibly reminded herself of what her mother instilled in her from the first time she was old enough to understand what was going on – the point of terrorism was to change your way of life, to keep you afraid and bowed to it. Giving into those fears is exactly what the terrorists want, why the hell should they win!

("Where do you serve? Tel Aviv?") She tried to make conversation.

("Yeah...") Tal wasn't sure if it was what she said or the Boot-Camp-Implanted sense of keeping your mouth shut with any military details that made the kid unusually quiet.

("So you have a week's vacation now?")

("Yeah, my second leave since enlisting. Once again I'm spending it in hospitals. I'm beginning to dread them...")

Uncomfortable with asking a complete stranger about such troubling issues, Tal chose silence. A few moments later they were brought out of the loaded atmosphere by Harm's voice.

"Don't stop talking on my account. I can't understand what you're saying anyways."

"Commander Rabb! How are you feeling, sir?" Gil was up and by his side in seconds, his attitude extracting smiles from both Harm and Tal.

"I'm much better, Gil, Thank you. How're things in Tel Aviv?"

"Same." Gil shrugged. "Did you find Colonel Mackenzie?" His anxiety was palpable.

"Yes. Yeah... but she's in another hospital... Sharay-"

"Shaare Zedek?" Tal helped.

"That's the one. She's in a coma. Severe blood loss..." Harm shifted restlessly. "What are you still doing here anyways?" He asked Tal. "Your cousin was discharged this morning."

"I came to say goodbye and ask if you found your lady friend."

Harm forced a smile he didn't feel. He was grateful for the unrivaled kindness he was receiving but the more he was reminded of Mac, the more he fidgeted with the intrinsic need to do what had to be done by himself without having to depend on anyone. A change of subject seemed like the best idea.

"No uniform? Your commanding officer finally had enough, Gil?"

Gil chuckled, muttering something that sounded like 'Levy' in Hebrew, which made Tal laugh. "I got a week's leave. We get one every 4 months while on mandatory duty. If you sign up voluntarily after that it's different."

"That sounds nice, planning to do something special?" Small talk kept everything simple and nice.

"Uh.. well... actually, I was thinking... uh, maybe I could help you, you know, keep you company." So much for small talk, Harm thought.

"Gil, there's nothing you can do here, really. I'm fine, getting better every hour, just ask Tal here-"

"But sir-"

"I'm serious, Gil. Go have fun on your leave, you can visit me if you want but there's no reason for you to stay here."

"There must be something I can do!" Gil wouldn't let it go.

"Yeah, help me escape this hospital so I can be with Mac." Harm said under his breath, almost to himself. Raising his eyes to Gil he found the kid in deep thought. Obviously thinking up a way to execute his wish, Gil was mumbling things counting options on his fingers.

"Gil, he wasn't serious!" Tal saved Harm the need to exclaim. "You weren't, right?" she turned to Harm.

"No, no, of course not." He assured both. "At least not yet." He couldn't help but add softly. The moment he felt he could get around he didn't care what the doctors thought, he was signing his own release forms.

A few minutes were spent in silence until Gil spoke up again. "Sir, I really want to help. The only thing I had planned for this leave was helping my mom with some ordinary stuff, and she already said this was more important." He was practically whining at this point.

"The only one who needs help right now is Mac, not me." Harm said in the most commanding tone he could manage from a hospital bed.

"Fine then, I'll go sit with her. I heard people in coma respond to people talking to them, someone should be with her all the time and-". Harm watched in amusement as Gil cut himself short, feeling the glare from Tal's direction. He actually ducked his head, then took a deep breath and turned to Harm again when Tal smiled.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Gil?" Harm asked.

"Yeah, I'm completely sure. Is there anyone with her now?"

"Actually, the woman who found her should be leaving her about now, though she said she'll come back in the morning."

"Great, so I'll take the night shifts." Gil was excited at the prospect of actually doing something helpful to the two officers he'd come to admire and it showed.

"No, Gil, it's late, go home and you can come visit her tomorrow afternoon." Harm didn't want the kid's mother on his case as well. They were strangers to him, he knew family members that wouldn't take hospital night shifts with their relatives.

"Sir, it's fine, really. My big brother lives here in Jerusalem, so I'm staying with him and I don't have to get back to Tel Aviv." At Harm's doubtful look Tal decided to jump in.

"Don't worry, Rabb. I'll drive him there and stay with him for a while to make sure he's okay, if I don't think he's up to the job I'll take him home." Turning to Gil for approval, Tal added with a smile, "Besides, you don't have much say in this, it isn't your business if Gil wants to visit other people, is it?"

A wide smile split Gil's face and even Harm had to chuckle a bit, still careful with his chest pain.

"I guess you've got a point. Not much I can do to stop anyone doing anything in my condition right now." He gestured to himself. "I just want you two to know how much I appreciate it. This means more to me than you'll ever know."

"I think we're starting to understand." Tal said knowingly. "You should go to sleep, Rabb, we'll call you if we have any news, okay?"

Harm nodded as the two said their goodbyes and left him to think about finding new ways to show his gratitude, saying 'thank you' all the time made him feel verbally challenged.

-----

Gil and Tal found Ester and Simon still in Mac's room and introduced themselves.

("Wait, how many names does this woman have? Rabb calls her Mac, you two call her Sarah and you called her Colonel Maken-something") Tal pointed from Ester and Simon to Gil in confusion as they all sat beside Mac's bed getting acquainted.

("Her full name is Sarah MacKenzie") Gil explained. ("Rabb calls her Mac, short for her last name, but I guess she introduces herself as Sarah.")

("Sarah is in the army?") Ester was impressed.

("They both are.")

("I think someone should be here at all times") Simon brought up what they all wanted to talk about without hesitation, and got nods of agreement all around.

("I'm here most mornings anyways, so I can do the morning shift... And then Simon and I can come again in the evening for a few hours.") Simon agreed wholeheartedly.

("Night shifts are good for me, Tal, any chance you can fill the afternoon hours?") Gil asked timidly.

("Of course! There might be a day or two that I'll come a little later because I have late lectures...")

("You call me and tell me when you can come and we'll manage, dear.") Ester said calmly.

("Yeah, speaking of that, I think we should get a phone here so we can keep in touch and also Rabb could call here. What do you think?") Tal felt she was butting in a little, not knowing the woman lying in the hospital bed, but she felt she knew Rabb well enough to be sure they were both good people. She was of the solid opinion that good people deserved any help she could offer, and so fixed an expectant gaze at the three people she sat with.

("Yes, I was thinking of that too. I'll arrange for it first thing tomorrow morning, I know the guy in charge of the rental phones. He's a good person, a little old, single, no kids...") Ester's words trailed away as Simon placed a hand on her arm and Tal and Gil shared a smile.

("Okay, so we have your phone numbers and tomorrow we'll give you the number here. I think Ester and I will leave you now.")

With everything settled, Tal left soon after the older couple. Gil pulled his chair closer to the bed, took a deep breath and began talking quietly to Mac about anything and everything that came to his mind. Morning found him with three empty water bottles and a happy disposition with all feelings of uselessness discarded.

-----

The week flew by. Gil, Tal, Ester and Simon kept their shifts and kept Mac constant company. All of Mac's medical records had arrived at the hospital safely and she was visibly healing externally, while still in a coma.

At least once a day whoever was there would hold the phone to her ear as Harm talked to her for no less than a half an hour at a time. He told her about what happened to them, about his health, about their worried friends and family back home. Besides the mundane stuff he described in detail some of his favorite memories of their 9 year relationship.

When the half hour came to an end all too soon on the first day, Harm figured he should remind her that she needed to wake up, that she had something to come back to.

"I know you can hear me, Mac, I know you're fighting in there. Please remember you need to come back... I'm lost without you, Marine. No one to keep me in track and watch my back. Come back to me... I love you." After the words slipped out, he silenced for a long minute as his heart sped up. He was half expecting to hear her voice on the other end of the line rebuking his statement. His ear registering nothing but silence, he repeated the admission and made sure to repeat it in all his following calls.

Any frustration Harm felt at his inability to be with her was softened by the daily 'talk' he had with Mac and the many more chats he had with whoever was sitting beside her of the four people that have become his close friends.

The four made sure to visit Harm as well, but for short periods of time, mostly to bring him stuff like newspapers or books or food.

Harm himself was also healing nicely, his doctors said. The knowledge that Mac was being cared for calmed him but did nothing to diminish his determination to get better as soon as possible so he could be by her side. Everyday he made more progress with sitting and walking. His chest pain was almost gone and all his bruises were slowly turning colors, his tissues rebuilding themselves. The human body functioned as a marvelous machine, even more so with the right motivation.

By Thursday the doctors were pleased enough to promise him he'd be released the next week if there were no set backs in his condition.

-----

Since Ester and Simon were religious and didn't drive on Saturdays, Gil and Tal divided the shifts between the two of them. Friday evening Tal was sitting next to Mac, holding the phone to her ear as Harm told her the good news his doctors gave him. Harm was speaking loud and Tal heard most of the conversation, feeling a bit bad for sort of eaves-dropping, even though it couldn't be helped.

"And they said I could get out of here next week. So you better ready yourself, ninja-girl, I'll be coming to sit beside you full time, and annoy you with more stories. I'll beg you all day long to wake up already until you've had enough of this charade, open your beautiful eyes and hit me upside the head for talking your ears off. I bet that's what you'd do, huh Mac?

Well, Tal's hand has probably tired by now and my half hour's almost up anyways. I'll see you soon jarhead... love you." It was getting easier to say each day, yet harder knowing she wasn't really hearing it. Once again his revelations and proclamations were late in arriving and falling on deaf ears – literally this time.

"Time's up, Rabb" Tal's voice carried over the line.

"Yeah, I know. Is the blood still flowing to your arm?"

"Yeah," Tal chuckled, "by now it's used to being cut off for half an hour at..."

For a second Harm thought the line disconnected or his battery ran out but then Tal's voice carried clearly over the line and wrapped a tourniquet around his heart.

"Oh my god! Rabb she opened her eyes!"

"What! Put her back on! Put her back on!" He didn't care that he was shouting, he couldn't care less if he was waking the dead. "Mac? Honey, can you hear me?" He forced himself to keep his voice calm for her sake. She was just waking from a week long coma after all.

Tal brought the earpiece down to Mac again, while pressing the call button for the nurse. She could hear Harm's calmer, yet decidedly frantic chattering from the phone and kept her eyes focused on the woman's face. Other than her open, blinking eyes, there was no sign of consciousness.

("She opened her eyes!") Tal informed the nurse that immediately called for the doctor on duty, then rushed to Mac's side and kindly pushed Tal back with the phone.

"Rabb, it's Tal." She spoke and waited for him to realize what she'd said. "The nurse and the doctor are here now checking on her, she'll be okay, she'll be fine." She tried to calm the distraught man.

"God, I can't take this any more. I... I feel so god-damn helpless!" Harm exclaimed, momentarily not caring who was on the receiving end of his cries. "That's it, I don't care, it can't go on like this, I'm getting the hell out of here right now. I'll see you soon."

Tal's calming words were lost on him. He simply hung up, leaving her baffled with the phone against her ear until her mind registered the dial tone and she replaced the handle in the cradle and watched the medical team perform their tests. She noticed Mac's eyes were once again closed.

Though she wasn't exactly religious, she closed her own eyes and prayed. She prayed for Mac's recovery to full health and she prayed Rabb wouldn't do anything stupid in his desperation to be by this woman's side. This was the holy city in the holy land, if there was any place for miracles to happen this was definitely it, she reasoned.

-----

Across town, Harm was slowly making his way out of bed, grabbing the bag of cloths the guy from the consulate brought him at the beginning of the week while waiting for Gil to pick up his phone.

"Shabat Shalom."

"Gil?" Harm was wondering if he dialed the wrong number.

"Sir! Yes, it's me, are you okay? Colonel MacKenzie? Is-"

"Gil! Listen to me, remember how you said you wanted to help me?" Harm started.

"Yes, of course, whatever I can do." Gil answered without hesitation.

"Okay, good. Did you ever think up a way to help me escape from this hospital?" Harm couldn't help the small grin that formed on his lips at Gil's shocked silence on the other end of the line."

"Uh... give me some time, I'm sure I can figure something out..."

"Well, I think it's going to take me about 15 minutes to get all set up here, after that I'm getting out of here, plan or no plan." Harm's tone of voice left no room for questions or doubts, he was a man on a mission.

"Give me 20 minutes, I'm coming." Gil responded immediately.

"I'll meet you outside." Harm ended the call, his grin now a full blown smile. Mac was coming back to him, he was going to be with her soon. Besides that, everything else was only of secondary importance.

-----

TBC

A/N: Sigh. Okay, that took a while to get out... but I figured since the last chapter ended without a real cliffhanger a little delay would be forgivable. Your reviews never cease to amaze me, thank you all so much for the continued support and warm words.

A/N2: I had and still have a lot to say with this story and for that I've incorporated the help of the four new characters. Hopefully you don't find they take the spotlight too much from out favorite couple as that's not my intention. If you do, remember it's for a good cause!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: see first chapter.

A/N: You guys reading and reviewing are the best! – Bless you all! (When in Jerusalem... bless all the time...)

("anything like this is in Hebrew")

-----

Harm knew that getting out of the hospital wouldn't be easy. His form wasn't exactly what you'd call indistinct, a fact only intensified by his slight limp and occasional dizziness. The first challenge was getting his cloths on, something he vowed never to take for granted again. Thankfully, since it was Friday evening the medical crew was kept to a minimum so it was only minutes until the corridor was clear.

Running a hand through his hair a couple of times, he started ahead, mentally warding off anyone who dared stop him. His slow, careful walks the past few days gave him some familiarity with the floor, specifically the exit. Almost out the door he received a curious look from a nurse that hurried past him. The adrenaline covering for his heart's missed beat, he flashed a smile, kept his back ramrod straight and kept on walking, seemingly unaffected. Behind his back, the nurse cast him another glance, smiled to herself and went on about her work. Only two hours later when she found an empty bed that should have been occupied did she realize what she'd missed. She sat on the abandoned sheets and tried to figure out how to explain she let a patient just walk out of the ward.

-----

Outside, in the chilly air of Mt. Scopus, Harm took as deep a breath as he could manage to rid his lungs of the stuffy hospital environment. He was just about to start down the road when his pant pocket started ringing.

"Rabb."

"Sir! Where are you!" Harm almost smiled as his mind's eye drew him a picture of what Gil's face must've looked like at that exact moment.

"I'm just outside the ICU, walking towards the exit." True to his word, Harm started walking. He took all of two steps when he saw a car speeding in his direction.

"There you are!"

Carefully lowering himself into the vehicle, Harm shot a frantic Gil a calming grin. "You trying to help me escape or help me get wheeled back into ICU?" He joked.

Gil smiled warily and, with a bit more care, turned the car around and out of the hospital grounds.

"Is Colonel-"

"She opened her eyes." Saying it out loud for the first time made the news sink further in and elicited a full blown smile. "She opened her eyes." He repeated.

"Wow, that's great! Did she say anything? Is she okay? I can't believe I wasn't there! Tal probably freaked out, not that I wouldn't, I mean..."

This time, Harm had no intention of cutting the kid's ramblings. His exuberance felt right. His lung capacity was downright amazing. However, the shrill sound of the car phone ringing did stop the musings a couple of minutes into them.

"Hello?"

("Gil! It's Tal, listen, she-")

("Opened her eyes, I know.") Gil smiled at Harm.

("But how-")

"Hey, Tal." Harm spoke up as Gil's grin threatened to split his face to two.

"Rabb! Are you crazy!" Giving no heed to his affirmative reply, Tal went on. "You can't just walk out of the hospital, there's a reason they haven't released you yet! It's not like she'd going anywhere-"

"How is she?" Harm interrupted.

"Asleep." Tal answered on a sigh. "The doctor on duty checked her and seemed satisfied but I'm guessing the real tests and answers will come Sunday morning."

Gil nodded in agreement. "As long as she's not in danger, they won't do anything over the weekend."

"So you're coming here?" Tal asked.

"Yeah, give us half an hour." Gil responded after a moment's calculation.

"I'll be waiting."

-----

Ignoring all his physical limitations, Harm practically ran out of the car and into the hospital. He'd gotten directions from Gil on the way over and following them, along with his instincts, he made it to room 319 in no time at all.

Tal was standing outside the room waiting for him. She flashed him a quick smile, but didn't even bother talking and just pointed to the bed at the end of the room. Returning the smile, Harm breezed past her, still at full gallop. He stopped abruptly at the foot of the bed.

He'd been so caught up in getting out of his hospital room and to Mac's that he hadn't thought of preparing himself to the sight of her.

Since his lungs hurt from the stress he'd put on them in any case, it took him longer than it should have to notice he was holding his breath.

He didn't have any recollection of moving but he found himself sitting beside Mac, her hand in both of his and against his lips.

With his eyes closed all he could feel was the warmth of her skin and the pulse of her blood flowing slow and steady. It was the most comforting sensation he'd felt in a while.

Finally releasing her hand, but keeping contact, he moved his attention to the rest of her body. Her face still showed signs of bruising but they were definitely healing. Her head was no longer bandaged, which left her hair splayed on the pillow. Besides the IV drip and ECG beeping away there was nothing more to suggest the severity of her injuries, though he knew from Ester that there were various bruises hidden by the hospital gown.

"I'm here, Mac." Harm whispered to her when he found his voice. "I'm here and I'm not leaving you again." He couldn't get anymore words out, his heart was still pounding, the rest of him struggling to keep up.

Unbeknownst to him, Tal and Gil, wearing matching smiles, were watching him from the doorway.

("I still think we need to stay with them. There's a real possibility we're going to have to admit Rabb here if he doesn't take care of himself, which he probably won't. Someone's gotta look after him too.") Tal turned to Gil when he didn't respond.

("You don't think-") She started to ask when Gil suddenly came to life.

("Yeah, I agree, but we'll have to change the shifts, I'm going back to the army on Sunday...") He said distractedly.

("We'll be smarter once the weekend is over, but I think we can leave them alone at night, so there shouldn't be a problem.") Once again, Gil was absorbed in something other than their conversation. ("Gil...?")

("He's totally in love with her.") Gil finally responded in amazement and made Tal laugh.

("Yeah, it's pretty obvious, huh?")

After a few parting words to Harm, who failed to notice anything beyond the boundaries of one hospital bed, Gil left Tal alone so he would be able to come the next morning and take over.

-----

The night passed without much incident. Mac didn't open her eyes again and eventually Harm fell asleep beside her, while Tal kept a watchful eye over both.

Harm woke up with a start, unsure of his surroundings. Focusing on a pair of brown spheres brought him out of the fog.

"Mac!" One hand tightly wrapped around hers, as the other reached to caress her cheek. Nothing happened. No recognition flashed in her eyes, no movement was made on her part to squeeze back on his hand or lean into his caress.

Before even allowing himself to analyze the situation, a feeling of dread settled deep inside him.

"Mac, can you hear me?" There was desperation in the words. "Can you..." His voice broke on the question. A sliver of hope shone through as he thought of the possibility that she still had no control of all her muscles. "Blink twice if you understand me, Mac."

Nothing.

His heart shattered, he could swear he heard the crash. This was losing her on a completely different level. She opened her eyes! It must be an improvement! But she wasn't responding at all, so what was he supposed to think?

Tal had seen and heard the awakening of both partners and walked back into the room with a nurse and a doctor in tow before Harm could sink any further.

The nurse once again asked them kindly to give them some room, and Tal had to physically drag Harm away.

Trying to get Harm to talk or take his eyes off of the curtain surrounding Mac's bed was like trying to find logic in politics – a complete and utter waste of time. As soon as the curtain was drawn back, Harm was drawn in – the doctor practically walked into him.

("Wow, sir, calm down. Are you a family member?")

("He speaks English, and yes.") Tal jumped in before Harm could respond. She knew her little lie would make things easier on Harm and she could always claim she didn't know.

"Let's go sit down, sir." The young doctor was surprisingly fluent in English, accent and all. He took Harm's arm and lead him out of the room and to the chairs in the hall. Only Tal, who stayed back, noticed Harm's glance in Mac's direction.

"Sir?" the harried looking doctor finally managed to get Harm's full attention. As penetrating eyes fixed on his tired ones, he regretted volunteering for duty that Saturday.

"My name is Dr. Felner. Dr. Reut is actually overseeing your wife's case but she'll only be here tomorrow, so I'll fill you in." The word wife registered much later, it was only at that point that Harm even noticed the doctor was holding Mac's chart and scanning through it. He waited mutely for the guy to go on.

"As you know, she's lost a lot of blood. The ensuing lack of oxygen to her brain, along with the bruises she sustained to it caused the coma. The thing about comas is that we never know when the person will come out and what the damage will be – every person reacts different-"

"But she opened her eyes!" Harm could help but add to what was becoming a somber description.

"Yes, which means she came out of the coma." Dr. Felner held a hand to stop Harm's expected interruption. "Now, from our preliminary tests she doesn't seem to be responding to external stimuli-"

"But-"

"Which means she's in a vegetative coma. I'm very sorry, sir." The word 'vegetative' repeated itself in Harm's mind a few times before it died down. He never thought it could sound so much like a death sentence.

"Aren't there tests... ways of treatment... anything you can do?" He wasn't ready to give up and he didn't like the look on the doctor's face - it was pity mixed with exasperation.

"As I said, Dr. Reut will be in tomorrow, she'll be able to give you more details and tell you what tests will be made and what more can be done. Again, I'm sincerely sorry, sir."

The young man got up, immediately followed by Harm who was completely ready to put up a fight... but he didn't know what argument to use. He was left watching the young man's back as he walked away.

Very slowly he walked back into the room. Seeing Mac's eyes were still open, Tal's expectant look was momentarily ignored as he rushed back to his earlier position.

"Mac." He couldn't stop saying her name, unconsciously trying to remind her who she was and had to come back to be.

After a few calming breaths, he spoke again, telling both Mac and Tal what the doctor had said.

"No matter what they say, I know you're aware of everything that's going on, Mac. I know you'll come out of it. Be the stubborn jarhead I know and love, come back and prove them all wrong!" He whispered fiercely.

Time, with its tendency to go one despite it all, passed and the day progressed. Gil came and Tal left, phone calls were kept to a minimum, Ester and Simon came to visit when the evening came and Harm's attitude was separately defined to two distinct times – when Mac's eyes were open as opposed to when the rest of the universe came into a somewhat hazy focus. When latter times came, Harm could be persuaded to eat or rest or walk around, but only for short periods because he didn't want to miss any waking moments.

-----

Leaving Ester at Mac's side, chattering at her in Farsi, Simon was finally able to drag Harm away and took him outside for a few breaths of fresh air and a talk.

"What about Sarah's family? Do they intend to come?"

"No... no, her only family is her uncle and he can't come."

"She's family to you, isn't she?" Simon commented quietly. Harm only nodded his head in the affirmative as they continued walking. Suddenly, Harm stopped in his tracks. Simon looked back to find a look of utter shock on Harm's face.

"What is it?"

"I can't believe I didn't think of it... they must be going stir crazy..." Harm was mumbling to himself.

"What? What do you mean?" Simon was lost but Harm was already dialing a number on his cell phone and just mumbled something like "I'll explain later" as he waited for his call to be answered.

Simon could only hear the one side of the conversation.

"Bud! No... no, nothing new so far... yeah, I'm okay, listen Bud, I could use your help. Yeah, I need you to find out anything you can about comas, vegetative state, recovery from them, anything and everything." Harm stayed silent a while but his eyes were twinkling, "yeah, thanks, Bud, call me when you have the information."

Ending the call, Harm turned his attention to Simon once again and explained. "They're all our family, back home, they're feeling just as helpless as I am. Bud will find a way we can help Mac, I know he will."

Determination once again solidifying his steps, he turned and headed back to room 319, a perplexed older man in his wake.

-----

It was 5 AM when the phone rang, but Harm wasn't sleeping. Tal on the other hand was startled awake but calmed immediately when she heard the beginning of the conversation.

"Hey Bud, what do you have for me."

"Well, sir," an excited Bud began, "there's a lot of information out there, but I found one source that seemed reliable and just to make sure I verified it with the head neurologist at Bethesda."

"That's great, Bud, I knew I could trust you to find a way." He could just imagine Bud beaming on the other side of the world.

"Well the definition of a coma is a profound state of unconsciousness. It can be caused by many things and the onset varies between people. There's more unknown about it than there is known."

"Bud, to the point. When are people classified as being in a vegetative coma?"

"A vegetative coma is diagnosed when a person is awake, as in out of the coma, but still unresponsive to external stimuli. It's made about three months after the onset of the coma if the neurological-"

"Wait a minute, three months?" Harm caught the anomaly in Bud's words.

"Yes sir, you see the comatose person will open his/her eyes as soon as 3 days after the injury and at the most after a month, but a vegetative coma can't be diagnosed because it takes time for other systems to catch on, the eyes are the first to start responding."

If that morning was losing Mac all over again, Bud words brought her back to him once more and the joy filling him was indescribable. He breathed his thanks to the heavens.

"Sorry, sir?"

"Nothing, Bud, that's great. Now, are there any ways of expediting the recovery?"

"Yes, I found this site on the internet that claims that various kinds of external stimuli help even those who've been comatose for very extensive periods of time, Dr. Wexler at Bethesda seems to agree."

"Okay, what do I do?" Harm was eager, finally something to do!

"Do you have an e-mail address or a fax machine I can send all this to? I mean I could read it but..."

"Just give me the gist of things, I'll see what I can do about receiving the information later, Bud."

"Alright, sir. Well, basically you need to stimulate all of her senses – sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch as well as her muscles."

"Okay, okay..." They've been stimulating her hearing ever since they found her, but other senses were admittedly left out.

"I... I don't know about the actual ways of getting about it, sir. Dr. Wexler seemed to think the site's approach was rather vigorous and meant for more deeply comatose patients, maybe you should consult with Colonel MacKenzie's attending physician there before attempting it.."

"Don't worry, Bud, I don't intend to torture the Colonel."

"No, sir, I would never insinuate-"

"Bud! Relax, and thank you." Harm couldn't help but smile, Bud would never change.

"Of course, sir, I'm glad I could help with something, we're all so worried for the Colonel. Harriet's on the phone with Chloe practically everyday, Petty Officer Coates comes by a lot, sometimes with Mattie, we're all praying for her, sir."

"I know, Bud, I know... I'll be sure to tell Mac. I'm very grateful to have friends like you and I'm sure she is too."

"Thank you, sir."

"Okay, I'll let you go now, I'll call you tomorrow with an address for that info. Thanks again, give my best to Harriet and the kids."

"Will do, sir."

Ending the call, Harm turned with a smile to Tal, who was looking at him expectantly.

"She'll be okay... can't say the same for that Dr. Felner when I'm through with him, though." Tal smiled tiredly and settled back into the chair for a few more hours of sleep.

Gathering Mac's hand in his, he kissed it lightly once, then again with more pressure. He'll do everything in his power to stimulate her and bring her back to him, Harm vowed to himself and set to the task immediately.

Deciding to keep it simple till he talked to Dr. Reut, as Bud suggested, Harm started rubbing Mac's arm, top to bottom, giving the stiff muscles a much needed massage. He gave each limb his thorough attention. So thorough, in fact, that he failed to notice the brown eyes that opened, as yet without recognition, in response to his ministrations.

Tal woke up to the cheerful sight of Harm rubbing Mac's feet as the sun filtered through the window and gave the bed a somewhat surreal glow.

"Don't pretend you're not enjoying this, Mac, you're just feigning indifference so you won't have to owe me for this sensational foot-rub. Well, guess again, Marine, I've got this all on hidden camera and I will collect."

Tal couldn't help but laugh out loud and cause serious embarrassment to a certain sailor, which only made her laugh harder and Harm joined in. It was a much needed relief from yesterday. This day was shaping up to be much better.

-----

TBC

Yes, yes, I know, speed it up, I'm trying! ;-)


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: see first chapter.

A/N: Okay, we're delving into Mac's health situation and I'd like to state that my knowledge of such cases is limited despite the research I tried to do, so forgive me any unintentional mistakes and please let me know if I've gotten things wrong.

Thanks sooo much to my beta, Mary, for the encouragement, the great advice and of course for fixing my mistakes. Any mistakes left are mine.

Humongous thanks to the readers and reviewers for (obviously) reading and reviewing and not killing me for taking so g-d-long to bring you this latest chapter. Read on!

-----

("You did what?") Coming to work on Sunday was always just a little hard for Dr. Reut. The one day weekend was a much needed break from the usual hectic week, even more so in weeks following traumatic events like suicide bombings. So hearing bad things on a Sunday morning did nothing to make her beginning of the week easier.

("Uh.. the patient was unresponsive except for her open eyes, that's the textbook definition of vegetative coma. Her husband was adamant about getting information and you weren't there so I just filled him in...") Dr. Felner was reminding her a bit of her 5 year old. He was fidgeting under her glare just like a child caught doing something he knew he shouldn't have done.

("Woah, hey, wait a minute. Before I get into the whole medical fiasco, what husband? She isn't married. Did you even look at her chart!") This was the one and only reason she didn't like weekends – she came back to find everything messed up. It was yet another reason to not like coming back.

("Of course I checked the chart! He said...")

Reut waived the attempted explanation off. ("Now, listen to me and listen carefully. First of all, no talking to patient's families before talking to me about what you're going to say. Secondly, you don't make a differential diagnosis on the spot. And finally, a vegetative coma can only be diagnosed after a minimum of 3 months in a coma! Now I'm going to go see if I can prevent a law suit and we're going to have a very serious conversation later on, Doctor.")

With that she stormed off, her white lab coat billowing behind her. She knew she had a bit of a flare for the dramatic but this time the guy had it coming, medicine was not something to be learned merely by memorizing textbooks.

-----

("Good morning, how's our patient today?") Dr. Reut switched modes upon entering the room and directed her words at the 2 occupants of the last cubicle, one of which she didn't expect to answer.

"Good morning, are you her doctor?" Harm stood up and decided to start politely before making any accusations.

"Yes," Was her short reply as she checked the ECG and Mac's chart, "Are you the husband?" She looked him straight in the eye, pleased to see the confusion there. He obviously didn't have anything to do with Dr. Felner's misconception. "I'll take that as a no. My name is Dr. Reut, and you would be?"

"Commander Rabb..." He paused a minute, contemplating how to describe his relationship with Mac – partner? Best friend? "I'm listed as her next of kin." He chose practical.

Reut nodded and smiled, then mentioned for Harm to sit down and sat beside him.

"I understand Dr. Felner talked with you about Ms. MacKenzie's condition?"

"He did but-" Dr. Reut could see he already knew the diagnosis was wrong – this made the talk both easier and harder at the same time. Politely as she could, she interrupted him.

"She isn't in a vegetative state, at least not yet. It's actually very good news that she's opened her eyes already and the lack of response is expected and could be only temporary. I'm sorry if you've been unnecessarily worried." She got the whole speech out as fast as she could without swallowing any words in the process.

Harm seemed to be studying her intently and Dr. Reut had a feeling she was dealing with a powerful force.

"No, I actually found out that Dr. Felner was wrong so I wasn't too worried, but he should be if he wants to go on as a doctor." Harm didn't want to threaten outright, but he needed to be taken seriously, Mac's life was at stake.

Reut smiled slightly. "Let me worry about that, you have someone here who needs your full attention." She knew if she could focus him on her patient, they would all benefit greatly. It was a rare occasion to see such devotion from someone who wasn't even a family member and it would play in her patient's best interest.

"What happens now?" Harm was all business. The Dr. convinced him of her sincerity and seriousness. Her competence remained to be proven, but he felt she could be trusted, and he trusted his gut feelings.

"Now we help her get better." The light that shone in Harm's eyes brought a smile to her face. "I want to run some tests, nothing out of the ordinary or that I hadn't planned on doing before she opened her eyes." Getting a nod of approval she went on. "I'm sure you've found out that coma patients vary greatly. Only time will tell us how Ms. MacKenzie is dealing with it. Taking into consideration her military background I'm sure she's putting up a fight."

"I understand stimulation of the senses helps?" Harm tried to get the conversation moving somewhere useful.

"Yes, nothing has been proven, but there are studies claiming that. In my opinion it couldn't hurt. I've seen she's got herself quite a support group here, despite this being a foreign country to her. She's nowhere near the stage that requires inflicting pain to get responses."

Satisfied, Harm let out a small honest smile. "Thank you, doctor."

"You're welcome." Dr. Reut returned the smile and got up to leave. "If you have any questions, have one of the nurses page me."

-----

A phone's ringing brought Harm out of the light slumber he'd been enjoying. Studying Mac's face for a moment and noticing Ester had left the room he finally answered.

"Rabb."

"I take it you're still alive, Commander?"

"Sir?" The General didn't sound like he was in a good mood at 6:30 on Sunday morning.

"Care to explain why I was woken up by the consulate in Jerusalem very early on a Sunday morning to be told you've vacated your hospital bed?"

"Uh... well, sir.." His stuttering wasn't accepted graciously.

"There had better be a very good reason why you escaped a hospital, Commander, because that's what I told the consulate when I told them to straighten things out with the hospital. I don't like to think I'm the lying type."

"No, sir." Harm gathered his wits. "I was informed on Friday night that Colonel MacKenzie had opened her eyes, I was concerned about the medical attention she was receiving and decided to watch over it myself. In retrospect, I was correct in my assumptions." It was a rather roundabout way of saying 'I just had to see her and make sure she was okay', but it wasn't lying and he had a feeling it was what the General was looking for.

"That's what I wanted to hear. Take good care of her, Rabb, and keep me updated."

"Yes, sir."

He ended the call with a sigh and turned his attention back to Mac's still form. She opened her eyes every once in a while but other responses were still lacking.

"Come on, Marine, give me something to work with."

-----

The tests revealed nothing of relevance – just that there was no visible damage, but that was usually the case. The information Bud found arrived via e-mail to Tal and then by fax to the hospital and to Harm.

The list of forms of stimulation had Harm's eyebrows elevated. Somehow he couldn't imagine himself flashing harsh light into Mac's eyes or knocking two blocks of wood next to her ears. It brought forth a mental picture of Goofy bringing together a pair of giant cymbals next to the unsuspecting ear of a sleeping toon that then proceeds to jump in the air, shaking from head to toe. No, the list was definitely not for Mac, but it gave him a few ideas.

-----

"I think I got everything you asked for, this would've been a lot easier if I could go to the market..." Tal walked in that evening carrying a big white bag.

Harm looked up gratefully and accepted the heavy burden, immediately rummaging through its contents.

"Thanks, Tal. I wouldn't have been able to manage without you." Digging out a small pipette, his eyes lit up. "Wow, this is great!"

"Never thought I'd see the day someone would be excited with that... good thing I know people in the chemistry labs." Tal chuckled and was delighted when Harm did as well.

The bag contained small nylon bags full of different aromatic herbs, a few flasks with sweet concentrates and some massage tools. At the very bottom he found the change from the money he gave Tal and took out the coins.

"Those massage tools were a little expensive..." Tal said apologetically, but Harm just smiled at her.

"It's just what I wanted, thank you."

The next few days seemed to fly by. Harm started a routine appealing to each of Mac's senses. He massaged her muscles at least twice a day, talked to her ceaselessly and morning, noon and evening brought aromatic herbs to her nose and placed sweet drops of fluid on her lips and tongue.

Ester, Simon, Tal and Gil continued visiting but were no longer doing shifts around the clock. Harm was taking care of himself and of Mac with a proficiency that shocked them all. He was doing just what he wanted to be doing from the first moment he woke up – taking things into his own hands without much outside help. He didn't think about much of anything besides getting Mac awake and responsive.

One evening, having just placed a drop of vanilla extract on Mac's tongue, Harm sat back to look at the already memorized features. She was still so beautiful to him. It was the first thought that entered his mind whenever he looked at her. Now, if only she would open up those beautiful eyes of hers and give him that smile of hers... But no, she was sleeping. She was his sleeping beauty.

Without thinking about it too much he rose and leaned over her. Brushing his thumb across her forehead and down her cheek, he brought his face down to hers. "Wake up, sleeping beauty." He touched his lips to hers. Maybe he wasn't prince charming but he'd do just about anything to be able to kiss her back to life.

Administering just one more kiss, he reluctantly pulled away. A curious gaze followed his moves.

"Mac?" It couldn't be that simple, his mind reasoned, this is not fairytale. And yet her eyes were open and this time moving. He moved closer and surely enough his move was tracked.

"Mac, do you recognize me?" He finally managed to get out, his heart pounding.

He got no response except further movement of the eyes. His head finally caught up and he moved away from the bed. "I'll.. I'll go get the doctor."

He practically ran out of the room and pretty much ordered the nurse on duty to page Dr. Reut, which was luckily on duty as well and appeared a couple of minutes later in Mac's room to find a very excited Harm clutching her patient's hand in his.

"She's moving her eyes, I think she recognizes me!"

Reut moved closer to examine the responses and then turned to Harm. "This is another good sign, Commander. She appears to be tracking and focusing on objects. I really think you're getting to her. Did you notice any change in her muscles?"

Forcing his mind to focus he gave the question serious thought. "I did feel they were a bit harder the last couple of days but I thought that was just because of the massages."

Reut smiled. "It means the muscles are getting their tone back. This is very good news. I want you to pay attention to her face – if you see twitches of any kind or tears those are good signs. Keep up the good work."

With that she left him. There wasn't much she could do at this point. The only reason Ms. MacKenzie was still hospitalized was their need to monitor her internal injuries and her body's coping with the blood loss, otherwise she would have been moved to a rehabilitation center.

Harm focused back on Mac and smiled at her, hoping her focused gaze was registering the emotions emanating from him. Leaning in closer in his seat he suddenly noticed moistness near her eyes. Reaching to caress her skin he found it damp and was halfway up to call the Dr. back when he reasoned there was no real need for it.

He sat back down and coaxed Mac's neck to turn to the side facing him. "This whole process is probably killing you too, Mac. You're as used to slow progress as I am. But you'll get through this." He choked on his words in happiness and worry combined. "And then you can laugh at me all you want for becoming such a softy."

Harm leaned in to kiss her lips once, then once more. Even if it wasn't his kiss that brought forth this latest stage in her recovery, he was past holding himself back with his feelings for this woman.

-----

The following weeks were marked with the stages of slow continued improvement. Each step along the way was celebrated like a small Independence Day, excluding real fireworks. Mac's frustration at being so limited in her own body shone through more and more everyday, but Harm was there with a smile plastered on his face each time to remind her just how thankful she should be.

"You think you're frustrated? I think I'll let you hear my mom's side of the conversation next time she calls. I'm actually surprised she hasn't shown up here yet."

On one of the first days since the first show of recognition, the ability to control the facial muscles of the mouth came back to her and she started smiling and frowning in response to her surroundings. Harm's words and obvious shows of affection always brought on a smile, whereas nurse's or doctor's visits, besides those of Dr. Reut, were sure to be followed by frowns.

Harm introduced and re-introduced Tal, Gil, Ester and Simon, who were active participants in each and every celebration of progress.

Slowly but surely, Mac regained control of her body. Relief started shining in her eyes when she could express some of her thoughts and feelings. If she found Harm's frequent caresses and kisses strange at first, she gave no sign of it. Of course, she did have a while to get used to experiencing them before she could respond to them in any way.

She was learning how to use her body all over again, the Dr. had explained, she was going through an abbreviated version of growing up, from using the muscles, to saying her first words, to voicing her thoughts. Only difference was her thoughts were far more advanced than the rest of her body, which was the major source of frustration. Appropriately enough, her first word was his name. As Harm's heart swelled, he wondered if this was how fathers felt when their child uttered the first word. He couldn't be any prouder.

Even though it was almost three weeks since Mac's awakening, and she was actually starting to verbally express her discomfort at his constant hovering, Harm refused to leave her side for more than very short and defined periods of time.

He wondered when the General would finally have enough and order him to come back to the US, he never brought it up. One thing he knew for sure – he wasn't about to leave Mac alone. If he was going back home then so was she, by whatever means necessary.

The Dr. was already hinting that Mac's release from the hospital was imminent and Harm's mind was working over-time on figuring out how to handle what was to come. Harriet made a point of reminding him during every phone call that they wanted to help with whatever they could, so he knew he could count on the Roberts' help. His mother was sure to come and visit once the ocean-in-between factor was removed, and above all he was pretty sure his Marine would insist on becoming self-sufficient ASAP.

-----

It was a beautiful Tuesday morning. Harm woke up early, used by now to the early morning rounds and the sun filtering in through the blinds. It looked to be another cloudless sunny day in the holy city.

In what had become his morning routine, Harm went to shower and shave and buy himself and Mac some breakfast outside the hospital. He liked the mornings, always so full of promise; you never know what the day would bring.

The day before had been wonderful. Mac had been able to participate in conversations with Tal, Ester and him in Hebrew, Farsi and English to the extent that Harm had to remind himself that this was an event in and of itself.

Usually by the time he got back from his early walk, Mac was awake or just stirring, and today was no different. She was just starting to move around, still half asleep, when he walked in with coffee.

Setting the cups on her bedside table, he ran a hand through her hair and kissed her forehead.

"Good morning, beautiful."

Confused, slightly blurry, eyes opened and held his gaze.

"H-Harm?"

He smiled at her, his hand still in her hair, and leaned down for a short peck to her lips. The confusion in her features was becoming more evident and in the back of his mind he felt something was not quite right.

"What-where am I? What... what happened?" The warning bells were getting unbearable and his heart was pounding in his chest. This was not a good sign.

"What do you mean, Mac? You don't remember?" His hand, completely forgotten, was still caressing her hair, having been left out of the unsettling scenario that had developed in a few short seconds.

Mac's face contorted as she obviously tried to dig the memories out of their hiding place. "I, uh- I remember the ride to Jerusalem... the market- oh my god!" Realization seemed to hit her. "Harm- what happened?"

Clinging tightly to the hope that she was regaining some pre-bombing memories, Harm softened his tone. "There was a terrorist-bombing, we were both hurt. You lost a lot of blood. You were in a coma, you were just coming out of it... don't you remember?"

His words sounded desperate to his ears and the look on Mac's face wasn't helping matters. Just then Tal chose to walk in, cheerful as ever.

"Good morning, Mac, Rabb! How're you two doing today?" The looks on both their faces must have answered her question, because all the cheer left her features as she looked from one to the other in a different, silent question.

Mac was also making the impression of following a tennis match, when she finally looked to Harm and broke the heavy silence.

"Do I know her?"

Something shattered in the distance, highlighting a point in time. The heavy silence resumed and held, as one heart broke, another sympathized and a third fought a wave of psychologically induced physiological stress.

-----

TBC

Hang in there – love shall prevail:-)


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with the world of JAG, no infringement of any rights intended. Any resemblance to people or events in real life is purely coincidental (or approved by those people)

A/N: Ugh. I know it took forever to post this, but the mood just didn't strike, and though I had it mostly figured out the words wouldn't come. As always, heart-felt thanks to the wonderful people who read and review!

-----

"What do you mean? She was doing fine! She was practically on her way out, and suddenly one morning she wakes up and doesn't remember anything since the bombing?" Harm was pacing Dr. Reut's office and finally stopped, leaning against a filing cabinet and focusing his stare on the woman seated behind the desk.

"Yes, Commander, it happens. As with many aspects of comatose treatment, it is as of yet unexplained, but it's been known to happen. The patients apparently need to repress the whole recovery process, it being too long or too emotionally scaring. Sometimes they regain those memories." She raised a hand before Harm could interrupt, "but, sometimes they don't. What you need to do right now is to be happy about Ms. MacKenzie's physical condition and help her back to full health, both physical and mental."

Returning the piercing gaze that had been directed at her moments before, Reut knew her point got across when Harm's shoulders sagged slightly, but were immediately straightened with new resolve.

"Thank you, doctor. Once again." His smile wasn't the exuberant one she'd seen him flash over the past week, but it was a smile and it was a start.

Exiting Reut's office, Harm headed back to Mac's room and found her asleep. He walked slowly around her bed and sat down beside her. Tal had excused herself from the awkward situation much earlier and so they'd been left alone. It was a slow day in the hospital and his thoughts echoed louder than usual inside his head.

She was doing so well. There was no point in dwelling on that, he knew, but once the mind starts going it's pretty futile to try and stop it. Earlier, when they were waiting for the doctor to come and see Mac, there was no talking, but they were carefully examining one another, completing a circular bond by holding hands and gazes.

She'd warmed up to his constant touches and shows of affection throughout her recovery, coming to respond very positively to them, he thought. And now she remembered nothing of it. She was completely bewildered when she woke up that morning, and he saw the confusion caused by his touches as well. Decidedly annoyed at his line of thought, Harm pushed it all away and focused back on her physical form. It was only then he noticed she was staring at him.

Without thinking he reached for her hand and was immediately grateful when she didn't flinch or back away.

He was completely heart-broken and Mac looked like she'd lost years of her life. Well, maybe not years, but a month was most certainly lost, probably never to return again. He figured what shocked her most, though, was the way he looked. He'd been in a state of complete and total shock, probably a lot like he looked when he first saw her on that hospital bed, still in a coma. Once again, she put all personal concerns aside and turned her attention to him and whatever was bothering him.

"What's wrong, flyboy? You look like you've just lost your best friend."

Harm, who had momentarily cast his eyes towards their joined hands, quickly looked up and unknowingly sent a charge coursing through her. A sad smile graced his lips and Mac wished he was close enough for her to hold even closer.

Like a country at war; in times of trouble they clung to each other with the resolve of cement drying around an iron pole. All the barriers and obstacles of daily life seemed to fade to the background and all that had been forbidden was suddenly out in the open.

"I still haven't stopped thanking God that I haven't..." Harm finally uttered.

His gaze always had the ability to make her insides flutter, and his warm words only added to that. She reached another hand for him, caressing his cheek. Leaning into her touch, Harm gave a small sigh. When his eyes opened again, Mac had to suppress a gasp at the tears shimmering in his eyes.

"I'm alright." Mac stressed her words by squeezing the hand she held. Surprising her yet again, Harm turned his face in her palm and placed a tender kiss to it.

The man who'd made an art form out of putting up a stoic front was laying bare anything she'd ever wanted to know right before her. But all that would have to wait. First she had to know what her mind was holding back from her, how was it that they'd reached this point. She felt cheated. Like someone just decided she couldn't handle the knowledge and so took it from her. She felt like yelling "I'm a Marine, I can take it!" at that intangible force, but had to force her muscles to unclench, if only for the sake of the man who seemed to occupy most of her thoughts and field of vision.

Gaining his attention by once again squeezing his hand, this time with both of hers, she tried to recharge his mental reserves with her touch and the look in her eyes. He was her rock, had always been and will always be; she had to restore his strength.

"Tell me." She whispered her plea and watched a battle rage behind his eyes. "I want to remember, Harm." Her voice grew stronger. "I need to."

The battle was won, his expression turned decisive and strong willed. With a small nod Harm gave Mac the short version of her hospitalization. She took it all in quietly, never once interrupting him, for fear he'd stop altogether. When he finally ceased talking, he wouldn't look at her, just kept staring at their joined hands as if it was the only thing keeping him from sinking straight through the floor.

Mac was taking her time, slowly dealing with all she'd just heard. No memories came but just looking at Harm was enough to drive home any point he made. She could only imagine what it would've been like had the roles been reversed. She would've been devastated.

So many thoughts and feelings tumbled around her mind, so many strings flailing about, trying to tie together and form the needed connections. But no, it all stayed blank. Her mouth opened to speak several times, but no appropriate sounds would come out.

And so it was in this jumble of thoughts that Harm caught her unaware, with a simple movement of his thumb over her knuckles. As the nerve endings shot the message to her messy mind, her gasp was an impulsive reaction she didn't manage to control.

She was unjustly prevented from reacting fast enough to stop Harm from leaving the room. In the time it took him to drop her hand, mumble an apology, get up and walk away, Mac only managed to close her mouth and belatedly follow his movements. He interpreted her reaction completely wrong, she knew that much, but foremost in her mind was the need to keep him next to her. Her heart was beating in her head and blocking her airways, the fear of being left without him too much to bear.

"Harm." His name was but a whisper on her lips. Her eyes widened, she knew he didn't hear her. He was just past the threshold, every step taking him farther away. With strength she was glad to find she still had, she swallowed her heart down, down still and forced a breath into her lungs. "Harm!"

He turned around and relief flooded her with such vigor, she was actually shaking.

Harm stopped and stood very still. He saw Mac's wide eyes staring at him, from there her face, tightened in an expression he rarely witnessed on his Marine, and her shivering frame, pale against the hospital sheets. He started walking back.

As he neared her bed, Mac's hand lifted slowly and she reached out to him, a small smile on her lips, her breathing a bit ragged. He took her hand in his carefully, still unsure what he should think. He walked away because he felt he was overwhelming her and wanted to regroup and gain control over his feelings, but she called out and reeled him back in and there was nothing he could do to refuse her.

Sitting down, it took Harm a few more minutes to look up at Mac, in hope he was ready to deal with whatever she had to say.

"Please don't leave me." Mac wasn't proud of her inability to keep her voice from breaking at the end of the sentence, and she drew another breath in an effort to stay calm. "Don't leave me, Harm."

Harm on his part, almost broke down there and then. "Never." He covered her hand with both of his and squeezed tight, though he wasn't sure who was giving whom strength at this point. "I'll never leave you, Sarah."

Mac bit back a sob and flashed Harm a watery smile. There was so much to say but her mind was still a mess and there would be enough time for that later. For now she knew everything she needed to know, the rest would come in due time.

Harm brushed her hair back from her face, though it wasn't really in the way, very much relieved when her smile only widened at his touch. They were going to be ok.

-----

The next two days flew by in a flurry of activity. Mac and Harm both agreed to focus on getting her well enough physically to get out of the hospital and deal with everything else afterwards. They informed the General and family and friends of Mac's current condition, assuring them that this wasn't a step back in any way that mattered. Gil, Tal, Ester and Simon conveyed their sympathies but did not come to visit, choosing together to give the couple the space they needed to deal with this development and fight their way out of it. Also, the idea of facing Mac with more things and people she didn't remember seemed like a bad one.

Once again, Harm and Mac proved to be a spectacular team, two powers of magnificent proportions fused together with one clear goal – going home.

Papers were received and sent back, flights were booked, people were notified, and the world kept on turning.

It was a crisp Friday morning as Harm stood behind Mac, sitting in her wheel chair, outside of the hospital. Dr. Reut had come to see them off and was standing beside them, watching the white military car approach.

"Thank you, doctor." Harm turned to her, "for everything." He shook her hand warmly with an equally warm smile.

"You're most welcome, come visit if you're ever in Israel again." Reut smiled back at them both with a twinkle in her eye, and reached down to shake Mac's outstretched hand as well.

All three chuckled lightly as the white car came to a stop in front of them and a harried looking young man jumped out of it with a flood of activity and words.

"Sir, Ma'am, I'm so sorry I'm late, there was traffic because of an accident and then the car had trouble climbing uphill and I had to stop and let it cool down and-"

"Gil!" Harm and Mac's voices were joined by Reut's, who'd managed to hear the kid quite a few times over the Colonel's stay under her care, and the young man quieted immediately.

"It's good to see you, Gil." Mac broke the awkward silence. "Thank you for coming to take us to the airport."

Slightly exuberant yet again, Gil smiled. "I wouldn't have it any other way. I got all of your things that were left in Tel Aviv and all your papers and everything. Shall we?"

Mac looked up at Harm, who carefully helped her into a standing position and guided her in the few steps needed to get into the car. With a last wave and thanks to Reut, they were off.

Her arms crossed in front of her, the doctor squinted her eyes against the sun and watched the car drive away. When it finally disappeared she shook her head in amusement and headed back inside. It was days like this that made her really love her job, though she had little to do with the miraculous recovery. Some people were a true inspiration.

-----

It seemed like the flight from Jordan to Israel was only a few days ago. Mac watched the mainly yellow land beneath the plane's wing, becoming smaller and farther away, replaced by the blue of the Mediterranean Sea. She had one hand deeply entrenched in Harm's, while the other fingered a small white envelope.

The envelope held a simple greeting card. A simple greeting card filled with plain handwriting in three languages that would always remind her of a small troubled country and of four dedicated and warm human beings who had gotten them both through one of the harder times in their lives.

"Thank you." She whispered quietly, mostly to herself.

"Did you say something?"

Oh how she loved him. So attentive, so everything she ever wished for. Looking up into his eyes, for once no thoughts of inadequacy flooded her mind; life was just too short to ignore what you really want. For any reason.

Blue eyes followed her head as it left the headrest and drew closer. A small tilt upwards was all it took to bring their lips together.

The pressure on her hand from his suddenly increased as he added pressure against her lips. She had managed to surprise him and his immediate and unrestrained response made her giddy all over.

Not daring to deepen the kiss without further reassurance from Mac, Harm only whispered her given name, unable to think or utter anything else.

"I love you, Harm."

And there it was. In a moment of emotion and guards that were down, the truth tumbled out and it was the most natural phrase she had ever expressed. She did, she loved him, in every sense of the word. Obstacles were plenty and varied but she knew she couldn't keep it locked away anymore.

Harm's only reaction was to cup her face in both hands and kiss her as if his very life depended on it. With her hands at his arms, it was all Mac could do to hold on and receive his heady injection.

"Wow, sailor." She breathed when he let her up for air. "Recovering comatose patient here... have some compassion..."

He accepted her gasping tease with a chuckle and rested his forehead against hers. "I love you so much, Mac. I just can't-"

The touch of her lips on his quieted Harm, and the rest of his sentence was replaced by an expelled breath of slight frustration.

"I know, Harm... I know." Reveling in the sudden freedom, Mac caressed his cheek softly, as she loved to do and did whenever she figured the situation allowed it. "One step at a time."

Still enjoying the newness in his kisses, she met him for another one – slow and deep and full of emotion.

They both knew it would take time and patience to rebuild the relationship they longed for, but they were up for the challenge. One of them had the memories to prove that point, the other had a card and a pair of unwavering pools of truth.

The aircraft ascended higher and higher, above the clouds and into the true blue of the earth's sky. The sun sent its rays towards the aircraft's windows among other things, filtering through the double glass to warm an already steaming union of hearts and minds.

Blood flushed Mac's cheeks as Harms tongue skimmed her upper lip from the inside. The warmth was beginning to become unbearable and they were only kissing, still aware of their public location. Stealing a breath she leaned even more into Harm's arms and reached out, trying to cool them down somewhat.

Those stray rays of light suddenly found themselves reflected off an opaque window and turned elsewhere, leaving one couple in a newfound peace that in an ironic sort of way was created by a hateful act of war.

-----

Not quite the end – epilogue to follow.

Thanks so much for sticking with me and this story so far!


	8. Epilogue

Disclaimer: see previous chapters

A/N: Sigh. Finally! Well, all things must come to an end, and so must this story. I've been kind of dreading it, because my expectations were so high, but here it is.

Thanks to the reviewers for all the wonderful feedback and concern throughout this long journey. I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have.

Also huge thanks to Mary and Colie for their thoughts and corrections, you girls are the best as you very well know!

For those who forgot, since it's been a while - ("this stuff is Hebrew")

-----

The invitation read:

Guy & Tal

The Wedding

All around the script there were quotes from various love songs in Hebrew, English and French. It came in a brightly colored envelope addressed to Harmon Rabb Jr. and Sarah MacKenzie, which also held a map to the event and a short hand-written note.

'We know it's a long shot, but we would really love for you to come anyways!'

"I still can't get over the fact that the guy's name is Guy." Harm leaned down over Mac as they waited for their luggage. Mac relaxed back against him, knowing it would be a while before the conveyor belt would even start moving.

"Tell me about it. When Tal first told me about him a couple of weeks after we left, I thought she was trying to keep his name a secret or something..."

Harm's arms fastened around Mac's middle, they stood and waited for the Israeli airport workers to unload the luggage from their plane.

It's been almost a year since they last stood in this very place, about to attend a conference, unaware of the troubled times that lay ahead.

When they last left this country it was with a bond stronger than they'd ever shared. They worked their way through Mac's recovery together with a lot of help from their family and friends. The words and explanations came in small, measured doses, both uncharacteristically careful with what they said. They relished just being – being well, being happy, being together.

Upon receiving Tal's invitation it was almost instantly decided that they would ask for a week's leave and attend. And so now, for 8 days they would be just Harm and Sarah – on vacation.

Their single piece of luggage had another go on the belt, since Mac didn't feel like letting Harm move away from her when it passed them the first time.

-----

Harm, having a slight height advantage, searched for a familiar face in the crowd and found a rather big sign, identical to the one that greeted them a year ago. Below the sign was Gil's face, a huge smile plastered on it. Steering Mac in the right direction, it took him a minute longer than her to see the major difference in the sign – the big red heart drawn around the '&' sign. His double-take was enough to make Mac laugh all the way to Jerusalem.

"So what are your plans for the week? I mean-" Gil cleared his throat, trying to swallow back the two extra words he'd let slip.

Harm and Mac exchanged amused glances; the kid really had grown up in a year.

"Actually, Gil, I took your advice." Harm answered, not offering anymore information as Mac raised a brow.

"Really, sir? Uh... what advice...?"

"Yeah, sailor, what advice?" Mac leaned more into Harm, but it only made him laugh.

"You'll just have to wait and see, Mac. No method of torture or persuasion will get it out this time. God knows you've tried most." He added under his breath.

A slight blush forming, Mac sat straight in her seat, but couldn't stop a smile when she caught Gil's gaze in the rearview mirror.

"So how does it feel to be an officer in the IDF?" Mac chose to change the subject. Gil eagerly told them about the half a year he'd spent training to become an officer and the new post he'd just started. He was still his high-spirited self, but he had toned down significantly; pausing between points and thinking more before talking. He had matured quite a bit.

The car phone started ringing just as they started the ascent to the holy city.

"Hey Tal" Gil answered, recognizing the number on the screen.

"Hey motek, hem itcha?" Tal's voice carried over the speaker phone.

"We're here, Tal. How're the preparations going?" Mac spoke up, subconsciously reaching for Harm's hand and lacing her fingers through his.

"Oh.. you know... I'm a wreck." Tal's laughter filled the small car, eliciting bright smiles from all three occupants. "I've got the dress on, my face is buried under countless layers of makeup and my stomach's doing summersaults that would put an Olympic athlete to shame!"

"It's going to be perfect, Tal!" Harm used his most authoritative tone, which made the sentiment sound more like an order. Tal didn't even seem to register what he said though, as they heard a mother figure in the background, spewing out orders much more definite than Harm's.

"Okay, okay! I just wanted to hear you guys got here ok, I'm gonna go before my mom breaks my phone to lots of tiny pieces, see you all tonight!"

Before any of them managed to say a word, the line went dead and their parting words were trapped on their side of the connection.

-----

The wedding was to take place in an open garden in Neve Ilan, just out of Jerusalem. Stepping out of their rental car, Mac's jaw actually dropped as she took in the scenery. At just past 19:30 there was still some light outside, showing a breathtaking view of the surrounding mountains. The day had been a hot summer day, but now the evening mountain winds were softly caressing them, making Mac thankful she brought a wrap.

She was so absorbed in the sights that Harm's gentle touch managed to startle her. His laughter resonated in her body as he gathered her back against him.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" he leaned down to whisper in her ear. A distant hum was enough to convey her agreement. It took her a few minutes more to get herself completely together, but then she looped her arm through his and together they went in through the main entrance.

The bride and groom along with their families were standing just inside the entrance, greeting the guests as they came. The invitation had said that between 19:30 and 20:30 there would be a reception, and the actual ceremony would take place at 20:30.

Among the first to arrive, Harm and Mac were immediately noticed by Tal, who rushed to them and hugged them both tightly.

"Oh, I still can't believe you guys came!"

She was a radiant bride. Her dress was plain yet beautiful, her curls swept up and away from her face but then fell freely down her back. Her smile was threatening to break her face in two and her eyes were glistening. A tall man in a grey suit came up behind her and fitted his arm around her waist. Flashing a smile at Harm and Mac, he shoved a tissue into Tal's hand and smiled down at her.

"If you start crying now, the makeup will never hold and then all that torture would have been for nothing!" Mac took notice of the slight French accent, but was concentrating on the love and chemistry clearly shared by the couple. Her hand once again found Harm's, and a quick glance in his direction gave her the assurance she needed every once in a while – she really had that love and chemistry too.

Tal dabbed her cheeks with the tissue and then smacked her groom's arm. "Guy, I'd like you to meet Harm and Mac. They came all the way from the US, be nice!"

After a few more pleasant words, Harm and Mac left the couple to greet the other guests that were arriving, and found a quiet spot for themselves.

-----

("Just look at them.") Tal smiled warmly at the young man before her. Gil had just arrived and his attention turned rapidly from the bride and groom to the couple that was talking quietly in a corner.

("I know. I can't believe I'm getting married before they are. I was planning a shopping trip to the USA.") Tal chuckled as her husband-to-be came to stand beside her and wrapped an arm around her waist.

("Don't throw those plans away yet. I have a feeling.") Gil still couldn't look away. Leaning into Guy, Tal too turned her gaze to Harm and Mac.

Looking at them from afar was enough to register the warmth and love emanating from them. They weren't touching, just standing close enough to create a space all their own - an intimate atmosphere. Mac laughed at something Harm said, she touched his shoulder lightly and their lips met for a casual kiss. It was obvious to anyone that their emotions ran very deep.

The reception went on. More and more guests arrived, Ester and Simon among them. When asked about their plans for their stay in Israel, Harm still managed to keep the answers vague. Mac was going crazy not knowing what he had planned and everyone laughed when she all but tackled him in order to get him to answer any question. He only promised Ester and Simon a day in Jerusalem before going back and Gil a day in Tel Aviv before that. That left Mac wondering what would happen from Friday to Monday.

Just as Mac started analyzing those points and going through the more and less likely places Harm could plan on taking her, they were saved by the wedding coordinator that called them to the actual ceremony.

Simon had explained the basics of the Jewish wedding ceremony to Harm and Mac earlier; pointing out the Chupa – the canopy under which the ceremony took place. The bride and groom would stand there along with their parents, the Rabbi and the declared witness.

The Rabbi was already standing under the Chupa, which was located so that it looked over the valley and was surrounded by mountains. A few rows of chairs facing it were already mostly filled by relatives of the bride and groom. Ester and Simon managed to find a pair of seats but Gil, Harm and Mac chose to stand with most of the guests on the slope.

The parents of the couple were invited into the Chupa. A few moments later the happy couple appeared and started walking down the slope hand in hand, accompanied by an upbeat song, which connected in Harm's mind with opening a door to a new day.

Not for the first time, wishing he understood the language, Harm wondered about the one word that kept repeating in the song. Mac, swaying next to him, somehow knew his thoughts and leaned her head back to whisper in his ear. "A'hava means love." With a short kiss to his cheek, she turned her attention back to the ceremony which would start, now that the couple reached the Chupa and the music faded.

The ceremony itself was short. Harm caught sight of Guy slipping the ring onto Tal's finger, cued by the Rabbi and Tal returning the gesture, saying a few words that didn't seem to be a part of the dictated ceremony. The whole thing ended when Guy broke the glass placed at his feet. The music picked up and most of the guests made their way to the Chupa to hug and congratulate the newlyweds.

Harm and Mac stayed back, Mac once again swaying lightly to the music, as they watched everything unfold.

Slowly all the guests left the area and moved to the tables and the dinner that was being served. After the meal came the entertainment – Tal's sisters sang a song, the couple's parents read a long verse together and their friends put on a show. Harm spent most of the time with an amused grin on his face, every once in a while receiving an explanation from Mac, who was enjoying the event immensely.

Soon the dance floor began to fill. After a few upbeat Hebrew songs that had about 40 young people jumping on the floor, came a slow number. Tal and Guy made their way together to the center of the floor and the crowd dispersed some. For a couple of minutes the new couple had the floor to themselves, then they were joined by a few more couples.

Tracing two fingers down Mac's arm, Harm took her hand in his and caught her eyes. "Would you like to dance, Mac?"

Her eyes fluttered a moment and it was all she could do to nod. After 9 years of some form of friendship and a year as a couple, she wondered how he still managed to pull off gestures that would shock her into silence and cause ripples of warmth and desire to lap against the walls of her veins.

Feeling as though she was floating, Mac let Harm lead her to the floor and on it. He held her close and it was a hug in motion. Coming into his arms was as familiar and comfortable as slipping into a warm bath for her. Their arms fell naturally about each other and once again they were in a bubble within the bubble of the world.

-----

After a few more slow tunes the DJ decided enough was enough and brought all the 20-30 age group back to the floor with a vengeance. Harm and Mac drew back to their table. The evening didn't last much longer as Ester and Simon called it a night, catching a ride with Gil who needed to be up early for duty. Still recovering from their jet-lag, they too made their apologies for leaving early and headed back to their hotel for the night in Jerusalem.

Harm breathed a sigh of relief that Mac was too tired to start another line of questioning this final night. He truly felt that just one or two of those would finally break him and ruin the surprise.

-----

"You know, for a while I was worried you were gonna blindfold me." Mac threw Harm and amused look as they started their drive out of Jerusalem.

Since neither got much rest on the flight, not to mention the hectic week that preceded it, they both fell asleep quickly the night before and slept for a good 9 hours. They started a brand new day, the hope of having beaten the jet-lag at the earliest stage alive in their minds.

"Believe me, I've thought of it-"

"I knew it! You secretive little-" Mac laughed and interrupted him.

"But then Gil said you shouldn't miss the sights on the way, so..." Harm ignored the interruption and raised an eyebrow her way when he could tear his eyes away from the twisting road.

The comment earned him a smack to the chest and feigned annoyance for 5 straight minutes. When he least expected it, she leaned quickly and planted a kiss on his cheek. His rich laughter filled the small car, joined by hers.

-----

Harm took the decidedly scenic route. The blindfold was a moot point for the first hour as they took back roads that went through villages, vineyards and orchards.

While driving through one vineyard they stumbled upon a group working on harvesting the grapes and had a nice chat about the whole area and the grapes in slow Hebrew and broken English. Soon after the encounter they reached the highway and drove for a good two hours, snacking on the container of grapes they'd received.

"So, we're going north." Mac stated in what she hoped was nonchalance. Harm only hummed his acknowledgement.

"What did you do, memorize the route so you wouldn't need a map?"

Harm didn't answer, but the smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth for a brief moment gave Mac all the proof she needed.

At one point they got on a road that gave them a marvelous view of the Mediterranean Sea for a while. Mac decided somewhere along the ride that she would just give Harm a break and enjoy the sights, which were as riveting as Gil promised. She's learned the hard way to appreciate the small things and enjoy sights and smells that had gone unnoticed by her most of her life.

After a while on more back roads they entered a certain village. A few turns left and right brought them to an old house and Harm pulled the car over.

Hand in hand they walked inside and met a slightly older couple that took them for a walk in their backyard.

"All this used to be an orchard, but when the village grew it was taken down so they could build more houses." Shlomit started explaining as soon as they exited the house. "So we built our house and when the land next to ours was left vacant we bought it."

Mac still had no idea why they had stopped here but Shlomit and her husband Amir seemed to be expecting them and Harm just held her hand and smiled, not offering further explanations.

They walked through various trees, some with fruit, some obviously very young. Finally they reached a large patch of grass and a wooden cottage.

"And this is yours." Shlomit smiled at Mac's surprise. "There's a dirt road that leads here from the village center, I'll explain later how to bring your car around."

As they walked towards the cottage Mac saw the deck on one side and the hammock at a distant part of the yard. After they were shown them the works of the cozy little place, complete with a Jacuzzi and A/C, Harm and Mac were left to themselves.

"So, what do you think, ninja-girl?" Harm spread his arms and smiled.

Mac tried to answer, but in the end just marched herself into those waiting arms and kissed him soundly.

-----

"I never wanna leave this place." Mac sighed contently as she settled deeper still into Harm's arms. The evening sun was casting its last warm rays as they gently swayed in the hammock, wishing this last evening would never end.

Harm's only response was to hold her even tighter to him. The four days spent in a small piece of paradise would be just as hard for him to leave behind. Most of their time was spent relaxing inside the cottage or in its immediate surroundings, with several outings to fancy dining or easy trekking. It was just the break they both needed to regain perspective and sooth their souls.

"Thank you." Mac's soft whisper brought Harm back from his dreams.

"Hmmm?"

"I can't even begin to think how I could ever possibly thank you enough." Her hand caressed his chest back and forth absentmindedly; almost smothering the pain he felt when he heard the resignation in her voice. Then a thought occurred and he fought to hide a smile she couldn't see anyways.

"I can... say yes."

"What?" Harm's unexpected response to what was a thought uttered unguardedly caused Mac to brace herself against his chest and look up into his handsome face.

"Say yes." Harm articulated in as clear a fashion as he could muster while holding back all facial expression but a gleam in his eyes.

Mac's breath caught in her throat, her heart at a complete stop as her body reacted before her mouth could. Could she really deal with reality if he wasn't offering what she thought he was? Did it matter? Harm didn't seem inclined to offer any more until she answered and a little voice in the back of her mind prodded her to throw caution to the wind. Harm would always catch her if she fell.

"Yes." She finally managed to breathe.

In a brief moment the expression on her lover's face made a complete 180 from boyish excitement to childlike awe and mature comprehension mixed together. It took her breath away.

His long slow kiss jump-started her heart and drowned her mind in a lovely haze. A few minutes later she realized her breathing and heart-rate had returned to normal and she was once again safely nestled against Harm. She loved how at times he made her lose touch with the world. She'd become a Harm-oholic and this sweet addiction she had no intention of beating.

Once again balancing on his chest, Mac studied Harm's peaceful face. His eye-lids had fluttered closed and she pondered the mature lines visible without the green-blue of his eyes as a distraction. His lips were just slightly parted and anyone who didn't know Harm like she did would think he was sleeping. She knew better.

She started tracing his bottom lip and laughed when he caught her finger in his mouth just as she'd expected.

"What did I agree to just now, sailor?" Mac asked when his laughing eyes once again focused on hers.

"Does it matter?" He baited.

"No." She told the truth.

"Marry me?" Harm raised one brow, sudden worry bubbling to the surface. This time Mac initiated the kiss and finished it, then settled back down.

To herself she counted back from 10 and bit a smile when he stopped her countdown just as she reached one.

"Mac?"

"Hmmm?" She couldn't quite bite down on the smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth. Silence ensued and Mac decided to give into her soft spot.

With mock realization she shot up "Oh! You were expecting an answer?"

Never expecting Harm to stick his tongue out at her, Mac fell laughing to his chest, his following tickling session never giving her an opportunity to set things straight. The hammock tipping dangerously to one side finally stopped Harm's attack and allowed Mac a few breaths.

"Yes, Harm." She finally got out. "I'd love to marry you, sailor."

Some kisses and minutes of silence later another uttered thanks drifted from her lips against his form.

A sigh of frustration described Harm's rolling eyes. "Oh, here we go again...". Mac's giggles were music to his ears. She would never fully understand that his actions stemmed from the selfish desire to keep his other half by his side.

-----

Once again on a plane, once again going home. Their saviors' reactions to the proposal were varied: Tal cried, Gil looked triumphant, Ester clasped her hands in muted joy and Simon clapped Harm's back with a force that jarred his brain.

Harm and Mac's eyes remained glued to the landscape of a country that saw them through their happiest and most dire times. Mac clutched the little Tehilim prayer book Simon and Ester gave them with one hand, while the other drew patterns on Harm's thigh. As the plane drew higher still and the blue of the ocean replaced the brown of the land, one word played in her mind. It was one word that was hello, goodbye and a prayer for peace.

Shalom.

-----

The (corny?) End.


End file.
